Day of transplant +1

Below post from Harden Blackwell:

We have been asked many times over the last several weeks how do you feel as a parent going through this transplant. I have had many people then say things like I know you are excited, scared and anxious. There is no question all three of these wordsapply. Another that comes to mind is fortunate. We have been fortunate over the years to have Duke Hospital nearby and fortunate to have the resources to provide excellent health care for Burns. There are many many people in this world who have neither.

Even though Burns has had a chronic illness for 34 years we are still more fortunate than most. God has been good to the Blackwell’s.

Duke is a great hospital and the bone marrow doctors and nurses could not be nicer. The same can be said for all the folks in the Children’s Hospital that have looked after Burns for the last 32 years. As much as Duke Hospital has done for Burns none of this would have been possible without Dr. Rebecca Buckley. She has been Burns primary doctor since he was two years old. She is the one who has given Burns the quality of life he hasenjoyed, she is the one who kept him alive in 2010, she is the one who got John’s blood typed and found it was a perfect match and she is the one who arranged the bone marrow transplant. We are most fortunate to have Dr. Buckley.

It is said that if a couple have a child with a serious illnesses itcan drive them apart or closer together. I am fortunate that it drove Derry and I closer together. I believe we have worked well as a team over these years and I am the fortunate one to have Derry as my lifelong partner. Derry, I love you and John and Burns are fortunate to have you as their mother.

We thought going into this John’s part would be getting a couple of shots and giving some blood for a couple of hours. Boy, were we wrong. The shots you have read about caused John much more discomfort than we ever thought. Over the years I have had to help Burns get out of bed many times but never have I had to do so for John until these last two days. It’s a very strangefeeling seeing the “well” one struggling to walk to the bathroom, difficulty walking in general and so much overall uncomfortable. This process was difficult for John and I know Burns realized this as well.

After the transplant was over, Eliza had left to go back to Wilmington to get their kids and Laura had gone to get the car to pick up Burns out front. Derry was walking down the hall followed by Burns and John. I was in the rear. Watching your two children, thirty something young men, walking like old men, holding on to the handrails, sedated, and having difficultyreaching the car, I realized how I really felt. The word is proud. Proud that one family could do what it takes to help each other,proud we could face problems now and in the future and deal with them, proud of Eliza and Laura, and proud of the family Derry and I have. I am proud that John is giving Burns hope for a healthier life. I am proud of what great strength and courageBurns has shown over the years. You have seen the word love in this blog many times and I am proud of that. I love you all. God has been good to the Blackwell’s.