Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant
The bone marrow extraction on Thursday showed that Lucas still has 62% leukemia in the morphology report. This means he will have to have an Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant once our team gets him in remission. Lucas is at the apartment with Erin and I and Jack and Dylan coming down today. Lucas said “well that’s better than 89%” (where he started). He is right, it is better, but its not enough. It was imperative that he begin his treatment ASAP, and as the genetic mutation map unfolded it became clear that there were some tweaks that could do a better job attacking the disease in round 2.
We are scheduled to check back in this coming Wednesday where Dr. Branko Cuglievan will start us on a much harder treatment path to put Lucas in remission. Once he is in remission, he will have a couple days and then they perform the stem cell transplant.
Several have asked if they can donate cells. here is a way to start my sister Allison found https://join.bethematch.org/s/?language=en_US
The first step of donation is called HLA typing. The two people in the world with the highest probability of being a match to Lucas are his brother Jack and his sister Dylan. They will be ‘HLA typed’ very soon. If they are not matches then there is an international database that searched for the perfect match. The likelihood of you reading this (including granparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.) being a match is very low, HOWEVER, generally speaking being an HLA donor could save a child or adults life, so perhaps consider it as good mojo in this battle against cancer. Every major metro has HLA typing centers. If you want to pay it forward, it doesn’t hurt to add your name to the database.
Prayers:
get Lucas in remission
let the infectious disease be proactive and protect his body from infection
find the perfect match
let that match sync with Lucas and cure his marrow
keep the home front solid for Jack and Dylan, fill our home with love and prayer
Remember this, Lucas is a mighty warrior. He is a hero. He don’t put up w/no BS nobody. He holds the pediatric oncology world record for laps. He’s pulling for the Celtics, and so are you. And tonight, Lucas Gourley will have his horns up, watching the first football game of the season with his big bro, sister, Dad and Mom, the way its supposed to be.
-Brian
