Re-Birthday Day 0

This is what we have been working towards, Day 0. We are so grateful to be here, and grateful to the young German man who signed up to be a bone marrow donor. Without him our options might be very different. I know that I should have some really moving things to say about our experience today, but to be honest I'm just too tired to try. Instead I'm going to include an email that my mother wrote, a post from my beautiful cousin Rachel, and some photos. Thank you all for helping us get to this point. I know there are many shoulders for us to lean on as we continue our journey.

I was so moved by the experience of being present as Tessa received her bone marrow transplant. It was not just another day in the hospital...

Dad had insisted we go today, despite his commute fatigue. He was right.  When the docs brought the relatively small bag (142cc) of bone marrow, flown in from Germany, into Tessa's room, there was a sense of celebration and hope. They read the info on the bag and matched it to her wrist bracelet ID info to verify it was the right marrow and patient, and hooked the bag on the pole and plugged it into T. The nurses fiddled with the flow rate and when they were satisfied, the marrow started to flow into her - It was mundane and spine tingling -  The docs talked about how on 9/11 the only plane allowed to fly through NY airspace was one carrying bone marrow for a transplant.  In addition to the three transplant team docs who had come to oversee the event, Dr. Krista (her oncologist who is no long very involved) came in from her rounds to be part of the moment- she adores Tessa, Sarah and Casey - she had tears in her eyes as she hugged the Roos family - 

Later the nurses brought balloons and a big poster signed by the team wishing Tessa a happy rebirthday. 

Our inimitable T, feisty and dictatorial, was pretty oblivious to the significance of the day, except that it meant getting presents. She was too uncomfortable to really engage with anything for long, and spent most of the day on the potty feeling like she needed to pee... but she was pretty adamant that she felt that there should be a lot more people in the room to celebrate her birthday - our little girl ordered a nurse to get rid of the orange and green balloons she brought as a gift - there is no place for those colors in Tessa's pink universe. 

We are grateful to have been there and watch it all unfold.

-Carol Pendergast

Today my beautiful little 3 year old neice, Tessa, is getting a bone marrow transplant. Please keep her in your prayers. But better yet, PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT by considering joining the bone marrow donor registry!! You can do it really simply be visiting BeTheMatch.org and signing up. They will send you a kit in the mail, you swab your cheek cells, put it back in the envelope and send it in. Then they have your DNA on file and you could save someones life anywhere in the world! Thank you for your support! Good luck Tessa!!!!

 

-Rachel Stamatis

Happy Re-Birthday to me! 

Tea party

Dr. Krysta stopped by to be a part of the day she was so instrumental in helping us reach 

Checking to make sure the numbers on Tessa's ID bracelet and the marrow match

Me and my marrow!

My new marrow is in me!

Re-birthday party

Even got a few smiles

Love that Nana and Poppie!

Bladder ultrasound

Got to have a visit from Auntie Katie, Sam and Elle (love them!) and got an aerosol antibiotic (it's a day for firsts!)

We love you all!!!!