Scott's Letter to Sam

I wish you could read this letter…
Words can not express how much I love you. You are the greatest thing in my life. Your strength, determination and smile are a source of inspiration. When I get tired or down, I look to you for that extra boost. I have had such wonderful experiences with you. Be it walking to get pizza and ices or taking you on those long walks on the boardwalk in Coney Island when you were only two years old. I loved those days and I love you every day more and more. I am so happy that now we go ice skating together or those drives to Nancy’s house on the weekend when you just listen to me talk about nonsense and yell at the other people on the road. I love that you look at me and smile and I smile right back knowing that we have something very special and we will continue to share more special times together for the rest of our lives.
I want to thank you for the gift you have given me and I only hope I can reciprocate although this will take me my entire life. So stand by me Sam, I promise to be with you.
Love Dad

Cord Blood Breakthroughs

Check out this link for more info...

Cord Blood Breakthroughs

Keeping our fingers crossed!

Duke Part II

Scott and I took Sam down to NC this past Monday for his second stem cell infusion at Duke. We are actually in the out patient suite now where Sam just received his second batch of stem cells. The entire experience seems less surreal than it did the first time we came down. Maybe because we've done it already or maybe because we are not as hopeful as we once were. A year and a half ago the possibilities for Sam's future development seemed so bright. He was not even 2 years old and we were still expecting that Sam would eat, walk, talk... Obviously we still hope that Sam can one day achieve all of the things that we probably take for granted, but as time moves along the inevitable continues to haunt us every single day.

We are hopeful that Sam will progress. He definitely has made some significant gains, but he still has such a long way to go. We pray that these cells will continue to give him what he needs to make his body work better.

In the meantime he got his smile back! At this point I really cannot ask for more!

Where Did Your Smile Go???

Sam has not been himself for over a month now. He has been teething. He's been sick. He seems just overall weaker and disconnected. I can count on one hand the number of times he's smiled in the past month. Sam has also been whimpering a ton and just has this general "I give up" look on his face. We have taken him to every doctor. He has been poked prodded, bloods have been drawn twice... I want my baby back.

Next week we go to Duke for the rest of his stem cell infusion. I should be more excited but its hard for me to feel hopeful and excitement when all I feel is fear and anxiety.