Latest Update

Hello Friends! Thank you for your faithful prayers for our family. Life is pretty normal right now. The girls are settling into a routine and Gwen isn't as clingy anymore when she hears me picking up my keys to go somewhere. Ava has been going to school when she can and is generally happy throughout the day. Mike is slowly taking back the different ministries at church and I'm trying to get our life in relative order before the next round of chemo.

Patty did a great job of updating everyone with what's been going on so far. We got a call from the doctor today postponing clinic (again) until Thursday. They are still waiting on results from Seattle to see just how many blasts are Leukemia cells. It looks like the number is somewhere between .5% to 1.5%. The plan is to switch to ALL treatment and begin chemo on Thursday. The great thing about this treatment is that most of it can be done as out-patient. This means that the whole family can continue to be together throughout the course of the treatment and that Ava will be able to recover in the comforts of our home.

This also means that Ava did not have the best response to the AML protocol. Her numbers were sluggish in coming down but the amazing thing is, her doctors were pleasantly surprised that the blasts came all the way down to zero. They were not expecting that to happen especially since there were still a number of blasts present after induction. So, this means that prayers are being answered! Ava's case is a tricky one, no doubt, but our God has a few tricks up his sleeve as well. ;)

We were also told that Ava will most likely not finish the ALL course, which is normally 2.5 years because as soon as a match is found the doctors would like to take Ava to transplant. As you may remember, a preliminary search was made last month and a potential match was located in Japan. Further testing is required to see how well of a match it is. We pray, firstly that Ava would beat cancer without the need for a BMT. However, if a BMT is the best option, we pray for a perfect match and a successful transplant. A BMT is another wearisome battle to fight with some definite obstacles, but we pray that our little warrior would give it her all and that God would continue to pave the way for healing.

Thank you again for your support this past Sunday in supporting us through the many bone marrow drives that took place. Your support, whether it was through attendance, prayer, registering via mail, or volunteering/planning meant the world to us. God shows his kindness to us each day through your continuous gestures of love.

Next Saturday, Ava's Team will join many other folks, including Connor's Team, to walk/run at the Be The Match event. We thank you for your donations and for joining our teams physically and through prayer. Our greatest hope is that we might spread the word that being a match and donating marrow is a beautiful act of love and kindness that has the power to heal, not only the blood, but also the organ that is often the most shattered after a diagnosis-the heart. May the Lord bless and keep all of you who are walking this road.

With so much love and fondness for all of our friends and family,
Esther