GVHD

Elijah is showing some possible signs of graft versus host disease. He has a rash that has developed as well as a persistent cough. GVHD is a post transplant complication. It is a condition involves Elijah's own system fighting the new donor cells. This can be a life threatening complication but children tend to have better outcomes than adults do. It can effect the liver, intestinal tract, and other major organs. We do not know for sure if the rash and cough are GVHD related...as he has both prior chronic dermatologic and respiratory issues. Please pray for Elijah and for the doctors as they assess the current issues at hand.

Day +26: God's goodness in all things

Elijah's count are steadily rising. They are still low (2.1 wbc) but they are rising! He is doing so well! His transplant doctor stopped by yesterday and is so pleased with his recovery. There is a bone marrow biopsy scheduled for Friday which will tell us a little bit more about how things are going deep within the marrow. They will be looking for whose cells are growing...we want the new cells to be the donor's and not Elijah's. There can still be some of Elijah's cells present but the goal would be to see mostly donor cells. We are so encouraged.

I am thankful for sites like caring bridge and for those who blog their journeys. I love that I can follow a friend's journey and be able to pray daily for someone struggling. I find myself pouring the stories of other children who have gone through this bmt process so that I can understand the process better. I love being able to bring the whole family into a virtual hospital room with me as we look for updates and new reasons to pray and give praise. There are so many children who are praying for Elijah. I think those prayers are often the most profound. I love the prayers of children...they are honest, free from clutter, and precious.

I am thankful that I can share our story with you. It is so healing..so often my whole perspective changes when I begin to share it with you. And my self pity, my jealousy or my pettiness are brought into light when I take the time to think about what is most important each day. And, I am so thankful that Elijah's world of friends and those who love him has expanded greatly. Elijah's autism makes it difficult for him to make friends. Social settings where most children develop friendships, are often to overwhelming for Elijah to do anything but manage his own world. He is not able to reach out or accept the reaching out of others.

Here in the hospital, Elijah has been able to accept the love and friendship of so many who are caring for him and who have come to visit. He welcomes a new visitor and asks them to enter his world...usually by sticking Meow in their face and telling them to  say hello to his favorite kitty. His world, that ironically has been shrunk down to the size of this hospital room, has expanded beyond my prayers have allowed me to imagine. He has friends of all ages, living in all kinds of places, and many will never meet him in person.

Thanks for sharing Elijah's needs with your children, your families and with God. Thanks for being a friend of Elijahs. We are so grateful.