Tuesday

Just a quick note: I added more information about being a bone marrow donor, including charts regarding eligibility, etc. Please see the "Donate Marrow" section for more on that.

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It's almost been 3 weeks since Ava was first admitted to Lutheran General for a bad skin infection... how much has happened since then.

Today was another good day; Ava continued to be in a great mood, did well with schooling and overall just seemed very healthy for someone with leukemia. The doctor remarked about this again as well. Towards the end of the day, Ava started complaining of leg pain, which is thought to be due to the leukemia.

Ava's WBC went up a little today to 0.7K (from 0.4K), while the blasts remained the same at 34%. These numbers are not what we want to see, despite the fact that Ava seems "really healthy" in behavior/demeanor. The plan is to begin ALL treatment when the numbers begin to rebound, but this is not a hard rule as there are many different factors that come into play. If Ava's blasts increased tomorrow, for example, they wouldn't begin chemo because the toxicity would be too great on her body given that she just completed AML treatment last week. So, we will wait and see (and pray).

Ava has been taking her hair loss in stride! Thank you for your prayers! She has been able to laugh and even joke about it, and is glad to still have some wispy baby hairs. What a relief to see her unfazed by this change in her outward appearance. Let it continue!

Ava will likely be discharged sometime tomorrow, pending final results. However, the Lees will likely spend Wednesday night at the Ronald McDonald house, giving Ava a chance to see where they have been staying and do some other things before returning home sometime Thursday.

Meanwhile, we continue to be amazed at the scope of reach Ava's story has had. Mike & Esther continue to get messages from people in other countries who are praying for them and Ava - what a blessing this is. The Korean Daily (in Chicago) also contacted them a few days ago, and will feature Ava's story in their paper tomorrow. Be the Match Walk/Run is also interested in getting Ava's story out more publicly, and they may be able to publicize the bone marrow drives taking place on April 6th. While Mike & Esther have no desire to be "publicized" (nor rejoice in such attention), any efforts to help recruit more people to join the bone marrow registry or to enlist more prayers for Ava is welcome!

Prayer requests:

1. As mentioned, please pray for wisdom regarding Ava's care - wisdom for Mike/Esther and wisdom for the medical team: what steps to take, when to take them, when to consider other options, etc. What would be the next step if Ava doesn't reach remission? How will they know?
2. Continue praying for the numbers (especially the blasts) to decrease!
3. We praise God for Ava's positive mood, and continue praying for even more of that to carry her through. Please pray for the Lee family to grab rest/renewal in these "less urgent" moments, storing up for whatever lies ahead.
4. We are thankful to anticipate Ava's discharge tomorrow; please pray for a longer stretch at home this time and no other incidents!

Thank you again for your love and support. Words do not describe their worth. Esther will update soon.