Aidan update 4/3

Hello dear friends,

I hope this e-mail finds you well. Aidan is doing good. We are enjoying being at home. It is very nice to have good coffee and the ability to shower sans flip-flops!
We are slowly adjusting to what we call our "new normal".

Aidan will be back at Children's for a six day inpatient stay beginning this Wednesday 4/7. He will undergo stem cell harvest on Wed and Thurs. Thurs night he will start his prehydration fluids and his 4th cycle of chemo will start on Fri. Hopefully, we will be heading back home on Monday 4/12.

A little about stem cell rescue...
It will be necessary for Aidan to have a stem cell transplant at the end of his chemotherapy regimen. Medulloblastoma is a very aggressive tumor and requires a high dose chemo protocol. This high dose chemo is slowly destroying Aidan's bone marrow and therefore, his ability to produce his own blood cells. During stem cell harvest, Aidan's stem cells will be extracted from his blood and frozen. (He is currently being given a drug called neupogen which actually moves these stem cells out into peripheral circulation from the bone marrow). After he completes treatment these stem cells will be given back to him through a transfusion. This is going to be a big hurdle for him in the next couple of months. I will update you with info as we move forward.

Our little man is doing very well in day rehab at Marianjoy. We are very fortunate that we live so close. Aidan has speech and occupational therapy for 2 hours in the morning. We are then able to go home for a few hours to have lunch and a much needed nap. Then back for an hour of physical therapy in the afternoon.
We are seeing good progress everyday. I am so proud of him...he is working so hard. Yesterday in physical therapy, he actually took 3 steps...his first since December 20th. It was like watching him walk for the very first time all over again!

Thank you all for your prayers and acts of kindnesses (making dinners, bringing groceries, running errands, etc). We are so blessed to have such great friends!
Aidan has touched so many people's hearts and we thank all of you for touching ours.

Have a good Easter!
Hope and peace,
K