A Birthday OUT OF THE hospital!
Donation protected
Gio is now an 8-year-old who has spent the last 2 years being treated for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia T Cell. He was flown to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital on 2/23/15 and diagnosed the next day. He has a large leukemia mass on his left lung when we arrived to Memphis and it was completely silent. His left diaphragm is now paralyzed because of the mass.
Gio received not 1 but 2 bone marrow transplants. His first one was Aug 28, 2015 from an unrelated donor in Germany. In December his amount of donor cells (chimerism) dropped dramatically and the donor from Germany sent more cells to Gio. Gio would receive DLI Donor Lymphocyte Infusions from December 2015 to July 2016. In March 2016 less than a month after leaving Memphis (1 yr. 3 days) leukemia cells were once again present in Gio's Bone Marrow. Although it was not enough to be considered "relapsed" they gave him low dose chemo from March-July 2016. In July we got to go home for 30 days!!!! It wasn’t near long enough!
When we arrived back at St. Jude in August for his 1-year post transplant testing. The bone marrow aspirate and LP revealed that the leukemia was back and in Gio's spinal fluid & Central Nervous System. We had to come right back to Memphis to begin treatment to get him into remission again. Since his leukemia was so aggressive and he had already had a transplant. he had to have another one.
**Gio is currently 9 months post transplant and he is getting ready to celebrate his 9th birthday!! This is the 1st year since being diagnosed that he won't be in the hospital and will actually get to celebrate and ENJOY his birthday (sept 26)
Gio has broken both Femurs after we got home from St Jude (left and right) and is in therapy learning how to walk again! He developed Severe osteopenia from the treatments that saved his life.
We are taking him on his first real vacation since his birthday 2014 (before diagnosis) to Gatlinburg TN them to Orlando Florida! We are hoping to raise enough money to Be able to do everything his little heart desires!
If it isn't in your heart to donate we would appreciate it more than you know! We leave on 9/24 and are expected to return 10/9! Thank you so much!!!
Giovanni (Gio) is my 6 year old son and he was recently diagnosed on 02/24/15 with Acute Lymphoblastic T Cell Leukemia (ALL). We were flown from our hospital in Elizabethtown KY to Memphis TN to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital after I took Gio to the Emergency Room with what our pedititrician told us was "Just A Cold". Every thing happened so fast flying from home to St Jude with nothing but the clothes on our backs. We were in inpatient treatment at St. Jude for the first 6 days we were here. He had many blood transfusions and platelets because his levels were extremely low. We are in a 3 year treatment plan (protocal) Gio is currently recieving Chemo and the treatment takes a toll on him.
We are currently staying at the Ronald McDonald House of Memphis with Gio and our 2year old King. We both had to leave our jobs and many people have asked us what we need or how they could send money to us and we were informed by another parent of this website. We would like to thank all of our families, friends, and those who we've never met for the continued love, prayer, and support! We appreciate it more than you could imagine! With both mom and dad not working and having to raise 2 boys one fighting ALL and the other a rowdy 2 year old it will be a financial struggle for us.
We pray that Gio gets better soon but we know its a long road ahead of us.
www.facebook.com/TeamGioFightsForLife
.
Gio received not 1 but 2 bone marrow transplants. His first one was Aug 28, 2015 from an unrelated donor in Germany. In December his amount of donor cells (chimerism) dropped dramatically and the donor from Germany sent more cells to Gio. Gio would receive DLI Donor Lymphocyte Infusions from December 2015 to July 2016. In March 2016 less than a month after leaving Memphis (1 yr. 3 days) leukemia cells were once again present in Gio's Bone Marrow. Although it was not enough to be considered "relapsed" they gave him low dose chemo from March-July 2016. In July we got to go home for 30 days!!!! It wasn’t near long enough!
When we arrived back at St. Jude in August for his 1-year post transplant testing. The bone marrow aspirate and LP revealed that the leukemia was back and in Gio's spinal fluid & Central Nervous System. We had to come right back to Memphis to begin treatment to get him into remission again. Since his leukemia was so aggressive and he had already had a transplant. he had to have another one.
**Gio is currently 9 months post transplant and he is getting ready to celebrate his 9th birthday!! This is the 1st year since being diagnosed that he won't be in the hospital and will actually get to celebrate and ENJOY his birthday (sept 26)
Gio has broken both Femurs after we got home from St Jude (left and right) and is in therapy learning how to walk again! He developed Severe osteopenia from the treatments that saved his life.
We are taking him on his first real vacation since his birthday 2014 (before diagnosis) to Gatlinburg TN them to Orlando Florida! We are hoping to raise enough money to Be able to do everything his little heart desires!
If it isn't in your heart to donate we would appreciate it more than you know! We leave on 9/24 and are expected to return 10/9! Thank you so much!!!
Giovanni (Gio) is my 6 year old son and he was recently diagnosed on 02/24/15 with Acute Lymphoblastic T Cell Leukemia (ALL). We were flown from our hospital in Elizabethtown KY to Memphis TN to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital after I took Gio to the Emergency Room with what our pedititrician told us was "Just A Cold". Every thing happened so fast flying from home to St Jude with nothing but the clothes on our backs. We were in inpatient treatment at St. Jude for the first 6 days we were here. He had many blood transfusions and platelets because his levels were extremely low. We are in a 3 year treatment plan (protocal) Gio is currently recieving Chemo and the treatment takes a toll on him.
We are currently staying at the Ronald McDonald House of Memphis with Gio and our 2year old King. We both had to leave our jobs and many people have asked us what we need or how they could send money to us and we were informed by another parent of this website. We would like to thank all of our families, friends, and those who we've never met for the continued love, prayer, and support! We appreciate it more than you could imagine! With both mom and dad not working and having to raise 2 boys one fighting ALL and the other a rowdy 2 year old it will be a financial struggle for us.
We pray that Gio gets better soon but we know its a long road ahead of us.
www.facebook.com/TeamGioFightsForLife
.
Organizer
Amanda Joly
Organizer
Vine Grove, KY
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