Our little warrior sound asleep on Nana’s tummy
Liam has GVHD of the gut They will be starting him on steroids today. Please pray the steroids work. Thank you
Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a complication that can occur after a stem cell or bone marrow transplant in which the newly transplanted donor cells attack the transplant recipient’s body.
More Info on GVHD http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001309.htm
Liam is out of surgery. They didn’t see any GVHD in his tummy but they have to wait for the biopsies to come back. They say if there is some GVHD it should be mild. Thank you to everyone following Liam’s journey and helping hold me up. We couldn’t walk this alone.
Liam last night sleeping, loved how he had his hand together like he was praying. He is doing good today. He was in some pain in his arm last night, from the new pic line. They will being doing blood cultures daily to make sure nothing comes back positive. The first cultures were positive for bacteria, the 2, 3, and 4 have all been negative so far. Praying that the medicine will get rid of the bacteria. He is on two antibiotics bactrim every 6 hrs. and meropenom every 8 hrs for 14 days. Tomorrow he will have a scope done. He is still having diarrhea. They will check for GVHD in his tummy. He had some with his first transplant. Thank you for prayers, and words of encouragement it means so much.
Super Hero, Liam! Thank you, Sheri Kerr for his super hero cape he loves it
UPDATE 1:18 pm ~ Liam is in surgery, please continue to PRAY.
UPDATE 3:11 pm ~ Liam is out of surgery, in recovery. They said everything went well. Please continue to pray…
The doctors have decided they want Liams Hickman out. They say it is to risky to keep it in. So tomorrow morning he will get it out and a PIC line put in. Please say a prayer that it all goes well.
Liam is feeling better each day. Yesterday he had to receive a blood transfusion. He will be on antibiotics for 14 days. The doctors are pleased with his recovery. He did get sick a couple of times yesterday, but none today and no fevers. Thank you, for all the prayers it seems they are working
Update: Liam has a blood infection and is getting antibiotics. Still fighting fevers and throwing up along with diarrhea. Thank you for all the prayers and please don’t stop he’s not out of the woods yet
I’m trying to get the blog updated, since Liam was admitted to the hospital.
This picture was taken of Liam about 30 mins before he got sick. The day started normal, Liam was doing great and full of energy. He had a clinic appointment the day before. Everything was normal. We decided to go for a drive, it was such a beautiful day. About 5 mins into the drive, Liam wanted to drink some water. Than he fell asleep, it was his nap time so it didn’t seem abnormal. About 10 mins later he started fussing and vomited. We pulled the car over and got him out of the car seat, he was warm. We went straight to the hospital. We had no idea what was wrong. I had to park the car, Kristy headed in with Liam. He vomited all the way through the hospital, they started fluids and labs asap. When I got to the room Kristy was terrified and broke down in tears. You become paralyzed in fear of the unknown.
This is Mommy’s post: 11:55 PM – LIAM NEEDS PRAYERS! We are in the hospital and not sure what is going on. Fever and vomiting…. I’m on the verge of falling apart
We just want to say thank you to everyone that took the time to pray for Liam. He needs all the prayers he can get.
By Eric Johnson Published: May 1, 2013 at 11:27 PM PDT
SEATTLE — We hear the phrase “brotherly love” all the time, and we usually don’t even pause to consider what it really means.
But one local mother knows what it means better than most. The brothers are her sons, and they’ve been forced into an extraordinary situation: Taking turns saving each other’s life.
Kristina Smith is at the breaking point and her family is on the brink. Hope is a slippery thing, and Smith is hanging on for dear life.
“it’s the hardest thing I hope I ever have to do,” Smith said.
Her boys are Smith’s salvation. They are away from her now, staying with family. The brothers are thick as thieves.
“Best friends for life, and you’re supposed to look out for each other,” said Noah.
They’re growing up sooner than they should, missing their mother and keeping each other alive.
Smith is in Seattle tending to Liam, her two year old who is puffed up from steroids and fighting a disease as nasty and deadly as its name.
It’s called hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. With it, the immune system turns on, but can’t turn off. So the body is at war with itself, attacking its own organs.
“In it’s full form, these are the sickest kids you will see. They’re very very ill,” Liam’s doctor said.
The only chance is a bone marrow transplant. It was Hunter who stepped up the first time a year ago.
“They stuck a — they never really told me what it was — like a big needle, into my back right there. There’s still lumps right there from it,” Hunter said.
This time Noah will step up as the marrow donor.
“Just saving Liam,” Noah said. “And I love him so much. He means everything,”
Big brothers need to be brave, but it’s tough.
“These boys don’t even, it’s not even a question to them. They just do it. We’re going to save our brother’s life and I couldn’t ask for more. I’m so proud to be their mother,” Smith.
Liam has been sick his whole life, and he hasn’t been outdoors for 6 months. But he likes to wrestle around with is brothers, has a thing for Elmo and when he dances, the whole world lights up.
Noah arrives early on the morning of the transplant to do the things he needs to do. For Liam, it’s another morning in the hospital.
He doesn’t know he’s waiting to have his life saved.
Two hours later, Noah emerges. He’s pale and groggy, but proud of himself.
“Makes me really happy,” he said. “That’s the whole reason I did it, to save him.”
The marrow arrives in bags, scarlet drops of hope passing from one brother to another.
It’s a gift as profound as brotherhood itself.
“After I give you this boo, you can go home, you can go play, you can go outside,” Noah said to his little brother.
Smith is full of love, family and hope, and she continues to believe things will be alright.
“I can’t give up, that’s just not an option,” she said. “And I want them to know that. I don’t want them ever to give up on anything.”
So far, little Liam is doing well. He’s out of the hospital and staying in the Ronald McDonald house with his mom. The rest of the boys are still living with relatives in Woodland.
