The Next Step

Hebrews 7:26
"Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens."

We now know the details of the next step, and it's nothing short of another miracle.

We went to the clinic this morning for our appointment with the doctor and the transplant coordinator. They told us that the other match they found has agreed to be Tammy's next donor. Their description of his response was "record time."

The donor is a 50-year-old male. We have no idea where he's from, but we know that God sent him. Just like we were with her first donor, Jim, we are very thankful that this man was willing to listen to God's nudge to get tested. And when the call came that he was a match, he was willing to help save Tammy's life. He will be a part of our family forever, just like Jim. So we came up with a name for him. Tammy has two brothers, Mike and Jim. Since we already have another Jim, we're calling this guy Mike.

Tammy will go back into the hospital next Wednesday, May 9. She'll go through another batch of chemo in preparation of her second transplant on Tuesday, May 15. The treatment will be less intense, since she's already had a transplant, and her body would not be able to handle the full regimen again. The good news is that the treatment they will give her will have fewer side effects. She likely won't be as sick while she's in the hospital or after she gets home.

Another transplant can be risky, because they're subjecting her to lower blood counts and chemotherapy again. But not doing anything would be far riskier. The doctor also told us that they thought about a booster dose from Jim. While that would be less risky initially, the fact that Jim's cells didn't prevent the Leukemia from returning means the long-term risks would be higher. So they believe that this is the best option.

While we were meeting with the doctor and the coordinator, we shared our belief that God is using the KU Med Center's Bone Marrow Transplant team to accomplish His will. We told the doctor that Tammy is under the care of The Great Physician. He said he agreed with us, and he joined us as we prayed for the coming weeks and months.

As we prepare for this next step, we ask you to step up your prayers. God had this whole adventure in His plans before the beginning of time. He knows our every need, and He will provide.