Progress - slow but steady wins the race.

My recent posts have talked about Harrison's blood test results

I asked the Dr's to clarify what these are, and what this means in terms of a normal person.

So... Lymphocytes - a healthy 7 month old baby would have a cell count of 2.0 lymphocytes (or 2000 per ml3 (milli litre cubed) of blood. This would be the lower end of normal blood count.

Harrison's recent lymphocyte counts were 0.5 - or 500 cells per ml3 blood.

Also the chimerism (ky-mer-ism) test done to determine Harrison's bone marrow transplant function showed that t-cells were 45% female( Ella's cells) and the B-cells were at 22%.

So the bone marrow is starting to take over from Harrison's cells - but has a ways to go yet and unfortunately no great improvement in the lymphocyte counts etc.

Having said that, Harrison's count did climb a little from 0.2 to 0.5 (or 200 cells to 500 cells) so that's something.

Also the Intragam ( plasma product that has some antibody properites) has really helped too. His levels are staying up pretty well at normal levels with each months transfusion, which is such a great thing. Although it doesn't stop him getting sick, it does mean that he can have the best fighting chance at keeping well. To anyone again who reads this and donates blood , THANK YOU. It is a great thing we live in the age we do - and that the wonderful donations made can keep our baby so well.

I am so proud of Harrison and Ella - and the achievement being made with Ella's bone marrow. Of course, we are not out of the woods yet (so to speak) Harrison still has a long way to go before he is normal and can join the outside world. It is reall y hard at the moment cause he seems so well. And he is leanring to do things really well, but I worry daily that he is going to be receovered, and I worry that whole"what if the bone marrow doesn't make things right? What then?" Its a very uncertain time for us, and as summer encroaches I would love to take all of the kids to the beach and swimming - but it is still not safe for Harrison to go out yet - and so we stay home.

Also very proud of him that he makes progress every single day . As I previously noted in my last blog that he babbles now - a great achievement in itself - and today he did a new thing again (Previously he learned how to roll one way) but ... as the newspaper people arrived here doing a story about Harrison for the benefit night, he suddenly rolled the other way for the first time! What a star is my little man? I am trying to capture footage of it - so taht you can all see it - but of course most of the time I get the after shot!! Lol

Also a great deal of thanks have to go out to our friends - for all the calling and emailing to make sure we are ok, and keeping us sane when the isolation would have otherwise driven us nuts! You know who you are - and you are worth your weight in gold.