During the month of April 2022, Samuel (age 1) began showing signs of bruising throughout his body, petechiae (tiny red dots), a bloody nose, and a fever that would not go away. Samuel got admitted to Rady Children’s Hospital for a week while they ran tests for Leukemia. A bone marrow biopsy was performed to search for any malignant cells, however these results wouldn’t come back until a month later. While he awaited these results, he was taken weekly to Rady’s clinic for blood work, getting platelets or blood transfusions. His white blood cells and red blood cells all remained at a low level to this day, hence the consistent transfusions.

After multiple second opinions from pathologists (in children’s hospitals located in Seattle and Texas), the cells seen underneath the microscope revealed a rare case known as Myelodysplastic Syndrome(MDS). This disorder occurs when the bone marrow is not producing sufficient or mature blood cells into the blood stream. Due to this, abnormal cells may develop, which may transform into cells seen in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). In order to treat this illness, Samuel’s doctors have planned 2 rounds of chemotherapy and ultimately the goal of finding a donor for a bone marrow transplant.

Samuel is currently staying at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego undergoing procedures with anesthesia for Lumbar Punctures, Bone Marrow Biopsies, PICC line placement, and CT scans. Due to the first round of chemotherapy, he developed a skin rash throughout his body and the medicine has taken a toll on his body. He experienced 2 febrile seizures due to the high fever that he developed rapidly and is currently battling other bacterial infections.

The journey to recovery will take time and our family is reaching out to others for any support whether that’s a small donation or simply sharing his story to others. We aren’t accustomed to seeking financial support but during these times, Samuel’s wellbeing should be the main concern rather than becoming overwhelmed with financial/medical expenses. With your help and prayers we hope to see the day that Samuel gets to go home to his family.

Thank you.