Day +365 - One year BMT birthday!!
It's been one year since Lyla received her bone marrow transplant!!! What a long, but amazing journey it has been!! The feeling of happiness and gratitude today is unexplainable!
We have been such a happy family the last few months! Lyla has been weaned off all her transplant meds and her immune system is getting stronger everyday so we have been able to take her out and about lots. She started walking a few months ago and can't get enough of it! She's also a social butterfly and will take any attention she can get!
We elected not to take Lyla back to Minnesota and are doing all her one year Transplant/disease checkups here in Phoenix at the Children's Hospital. So far, all aspects of Lyla's body look superb!! We hope this is a good sign for the years to come!!
We had the privilege of sharing Lyla's story at a local hospital last week to help raise awareness for cord blood donation and for the delivery nurses to meet a "real life" cord blood recipient. It was such a special day and Lyla was on fire! She absolutely loved all the attention and especially being called a superhero (see photo)!
For the presentation, I prepared this slideshow video. We hope Lyla's story will reach hearts across the world and help save even more lives!
https://youtu.be/VzmAV_PY1zY
Or you tube search "little Lyla stem cell"
We will stay in touch with occasional Lyla updates on this blog over the years! :)
Lots of love,
Helen, Steve, and Little Lyla
Comments (7)
Amazing!!! So happy to hear Lyla is doing so well and building that immune system so she can get out & about. The world and its adventures are awaiting little Lyla! Love you guys!!
Thanks to the unrelenting commitment of Helen, Steve, their families, and many doctors, the world is not denied the beauty, love, joy and happiness that Lyla brings to us all.
What a beautiful post! I am so proud of your commitment to your beautiful daughter and spreading the word about cord blood donations! Your video on YouTube was beautiful. Looking forward to my next visit to Phoenix to spend time with you (but mostly Lyla!). Love you!! xx
Dear Helen. What a roller coaster the last year has been for you and Stephen and how brave little Lyla has been and her parents at what must have been such a difficult time for you both. Wonderful to get the photos today and see such a happy, healthy little girl. Lyla feels such a part of my life now and that of my friends and sister who ask after her all the time. I look forward to many more contacts in the future on Lyla's progress. Do hope Lyla has a lovely second birthday in September. Lots of love Christine xxxxxxxx
Seeing we are coming up on the 1 year birthday of William, I have been reflecting on a year ago's events. Lyla has been on my mind! She looks so good and healthy and her parents look SO happy!!! What a miracle! Thanks for sharing God's little miracle with all of us! Xoxox
What a happy happy occasion!!! We are celebrating with you and so glad to hear how you are all able to enjoy life now! We feel the same...this summer has finally brought good health and many enjoyable fun times with Nicholas, and like you said, it's an indescribable feeling of JOY!!! Hooray and Alleluia for Lyla and your family, and all cord blood donors!!! So wonderful you were able to help out with the event at the hospital! Such an important cause! Much love and continued blessings for you all!!!
Hi, My systers baby 14 months just got diagnosed with hurlers syndrome. Would love if we could email you guys or keep contact? Feel like we need all help we can get. Kind regards and all best, Lina