Today’s the day! It’s hard to believe it’s been nine months to the day practically since this crazy journey began.  Jonathan is pumped up and ready to put these new stem cell to work.  And Lynne is handling her donor duty with the grace and lovely humor we knew she would.

Jonathan and I sent a note of thanks last week as we thought about all of you over Thanksgiving.  But today is the day we have been building towards for months, so it bears repeating just how much your love and laughter continues to mean to  us. It’s the source of strength that keeps us going. Always looking forward and up during event the most challenging times.  We know the days ahead will be challenging still, but to have gotten to this milestone today is amazing.  We’re ready to keep up the fight and see this through to the end. Today, however, is not about battling cancer, it’s about celebrating life. A celebration of Jonathan”s second chance and of the generosity and hope that Lynne and all donors represent.

With  love to all,  please join us in leaving your  Zero Birthday wishes for Jonathan!

While we get set for Jonathan’s transplant tomorrow, we want to ask Team Haupt to help spread the word for another patient out there searching for his match.  17-year old Jonathan from Texas has AML just like our Jonathan. Please spread the word about his search for his donor match and upcoming drives to everyone you know in the Houston area. They have an upcoming drive on December 15th.

Learn more about his fight and donor drives here.

Tomorrow is the big day! Please leave your wishes and encouragement for Jonathan here as he gets ready for transplant time — and for Lynne as she preps her magic marrow stem cells to share with her brother.

It’s been a challenging week for Jonathan and all of us. But despite the drama of the past few days, things are back on track and Jonathan’s ready for the Big T on Tuesday.

Jonathan started pre-transplant chemo (supposed to be all outpatient) on Wednesday and had to be admitted to the Hopkins on Thursday. He had a serious reaction to the chemo, spiking a very high fever and raising all kinds of concerns of different functions and levels they were monitoring. So, chemo was temporarily suspended and he was admitted as an in-patient again so he could be closely monitored and treated. Read the rest of this entry »

An update from us is long overdue, so we are sending a Thanksgiving hello to let you know that you’re in our thoughts and to share the latest news on Jonathan.

December is going to be a big month – Jonathan turns 0 on December 8^th.  Yep, his stem cell transplant date is finally set for the 8^th and we plan to follow tradition and celebrate the big day with a Day Zero birthday party for his new cells.  We were at Hopkins today signing the consent for the clinical trial, making everything officially official.

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Extreme Home Makeover tonight features the inspiring story of a leukemia survivor and her bone marrow donor.

Hope the episode goes a long way to raising awareness about just how easy bone marrow donation is  — and how important to blood cancer patients like Jonathan everywhere searching for the miracle donor who will be the cure they’re searching for.  A simple swab can truly save a life!

Every five minutes, someone is diagnosed with blood cancer, such as leukemia and lymphoma. Every ten minutes, blood cancer takes a life. Currently only 3 in 10 patients will find a matching donor that could save their lives.

Check out our friends at DKMS and Be The Match for more on joining the national bone marrow registry today.

Jonathan’s beautiful bald head is starting to regain it post-FLAM hair.  He has right now we loving refer to as his 13-year old boy beard growing back…I share this to highlight two great ways you can get involved this month in the fight against cancer, whether you fancy a smooth scalp or are up to the Mo mustache challenge.

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Hello from rainy Baltimore. I’m still stuck at Hopkins and dealing with big-time nausea. But my high fevers seem to have subsided, as least for the time being.

Docs sayI may be in for another week. Then I’ll have a week of freedom before starting pre-transplant diagnostic tests for the half-match done marrow transplant I’ll be getting from my sister at the end of November.

If you’re looking for something to read this weekend, check out The Recession Nation Project by my good friend Andres. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s been an eventful week on the Team Haupt front. Jonathan was released from Hopkins a week ago Friday, late in the day after the Orioles came to visit. We headed home to Silver Spring, but he restarted daily outpatient appointments the next day, so didn’t get too much of a break from Baltimore.

Jonathan was released with very low counts, so spent all week feeling pretty lousy and battling spiking fevers, not unusual when your neutrophils are just starting to kick back in. But Thursday his temperature climbed all the way to 106+ and he was readmitted to Hopkins. Read the rest of this entry »