I wish I hadn’t clicked your link, because seeing him and knowing what’s happening is even harder than just reading about it.
I have a young son, too, a few months younger than yours. I understand the strange feeling of being willing to die to protect someone you’ve known for 20 seconds, and the idea of being helpless to protect him makes me squirm uncomfortably.
I know I’m probably not helping, but I wish I could. Good luck, and if there’s any kind of justice in the world your little guy will be all right.
As I work for the NMDP (the www.marrow.org folks mentioned in post #4), I may be able to give you some advice on a bone, blood, or umbilical cord blood transplant.
The largest in the U.S., with more than 6.5 million registered volunteer donors, is the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). We are the registry authorized by Congress, so we are truly the national registry in the U.S.
The other registries have only a small fraction of the donors the NMDP has. But regardless of which registry you have joined, doctors who do marrow or cord blood transplants know how to search **all ** the existing registries, not only here in the U.S., but worldwide.
But please, contact the registry you have joined if you have moved since joining. It’s not going to do a patient any good if you are matched to him/her and the registry can’t find you. Go to your registry’s Website **NOW ** and update your contact info.
As mentioned previously, the NMDP’s Web site is www.marrow.org
The other U.S. registries are:
Caitlin Raymond International Registry
The American Bone Marrow Donor Registry
The Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation
Use Google to find their Web sites.
P.S. Despite its name, the National Marrow Donor Program is also the congressionally authorized institution that coordinates cord blood transplants in the U.S.
Me too. I can’t think of why that is a problem, unless it’s maybe they don’t want to anaesthetize us?
Redfrost - My best wishes to you and your adorable little boy. And take care of your wife as best you can. I can’t imagine how horrible this is for you guys.
I just registered to the Bone Marrow Registry about a month ago. I can look back on the decision as one of the best I’ve made in my life when I see or hear of a situation like this. I truly wish you guys all the best. Stay strong when she’s not, an lean on her when she is. Keep faith.
I just got done reading the entries at Matt’s guestbook. Thank you sooo much. Thank you for your kind words and well wishes here on the SDMB. My wife sat and read the posts with me. I’m getting choked up. Thanks for the support.
I’ve been reading your journal at caringbridge since you posted on the other thread (the one about Trevor Kott and hadn’t gotten around to posting anything in response to the recent news. I wish I knew the right words to say. I had no clue what his odds were, I’d thought he was doing better until this most recent news.
{{{{REDFROST AND FAMILY}}}}
I’m assuming that if no immediate family member is a match, they’ll search all the registries, is that right, Spiff?
I did register myself, just recently, when I followed the link from the earlier thread and found out that asthma is no longer an automatic disqualifier. I know others registered then as well. And I know there are dozens of other Dopers who would pretty near exsanguinate themselves if they thought it would help Matthew.
ETA: If anyone wants to be tested and is short of the the testing fee, my email’s in my profile.
“Most of all what makes him a really great dad (the BEST DAD IN THE WORLD) is that he loves us and always makes sure we know it.” That’s what really matters. How wonderful that your kids know how much you love them.
This is just my WAG, but my dad did die of leukemia and had numerous marrow biopsies: bone marrow biopsy, at least at the time my dad was undergoing them, involved aspirating marrow through a needle driven into the pelvis (through the hip, from the side). A very heavy person might present a logistical difficulty, simply because of the amount of intervening tissue.
Redfrost, would it be okay if I said some special prayers for your son? (I don’t want to step on any toes if you’re a non-believer and are offended by such things). Even if not, please know that you and your family will be in my thoughts.
Mama Zappa it’s a great offer. One of the obstacles is paying for persons to get tested. The family is having financial problems and testing the volunteers gets expensive. The second more detailed test is much more expensive, when they do pass the first test.
I wish you the best of outcomes here. It’s one bitch of a cancer, and it hard as hell to watch. You think things have improved and a day later your in the hospital again.
It is a scary, especially for my wife. She became close with another patient’s mother and that mother’s son died. She was there the day it happened. This is all very real for her (if that makes sense) because she has to live it everyday. I’m meerly a bystander and supporter. I’m at home or work trying to keep us financially stable while she is doing all the nursing stuff. My admiration and awe of my wife has grown exponetially since this has happened. She also has to care for our 4 other children while taking care of Matt. He is currently in good spirits and still flashes that winning smile of his. He tends to tire easily though. One of my favorite moments of the day is making him smile and laugh. I’m that way with all of my children. I love making my kids laugh. The music of children’s laughter is incomparable. They think they have a really weird but funny dad. I don’t ever want to look back on these memories and realize that is all I have left. I want them connected with his future. I want him to be around to learn from his big brothers and sisters. I have 5 children now and want to keep it that way!
RedFrost, please don’t think that because you’re not there every day, you’re just a bystander. You’re fully entitled to all the rage, anger, fear . . . all the horrible emotions that you’re feeling.
My heart aches for you and your family. I wish I could do more than sign up for the marrow registry, but at least it’s a start. And my swab kit is on its way.