To My Stem Cell Donor,

Thank you!  I know very little about you other than you are a young man living in the US and are my perfect match for my transplant.  What I know about you without even knowing you is that you are a kind, selfless and caring man.  After a few weeks delay, I should get my transplant next week.  The road ahead is going to be rough but because of your donation to me, I have a chance at more years of life.  For that all I can say at this time is THANK YOU!

Maybe we can converse more personally in the future but for now, please know that I, my husband of 40 years, my five children and ten grandchildren, family and friends all thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your willingness to be a donor for me.  May God bless you!

Your Stem Cell Recipient

Today God provided two angel nurses.

The one for my platelets- I told her I needed someone who would be able to place the IV in one stick. She did it in my hand – hurt like crazy – but she got it in!

Second after platelets I had to have a blood draw so the doc tomorrow would see a good number. I saw that this older black very thin phlebotomist (she has curly white hair) was working. I have had her before and remembered her. When she called me back, I told her my situation And she said – “no lymph nodes, no tourniquet.”

She poked once and got what she needed. I was almost in tears!

• Love Kay 

As of today, the plan is to admit to the hospital on Thursday the 15th in the afternoon. 1st chemo is scheduled for Friday. Then Kay will undergo chemo Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.

Wednesday and Thursday will be rest days and the transplant will take place on Friday, September 23rd.

Pray for no fevers or infections as either will delay the schedule.

Today (9/13) Kay will get platelets (go donate blood!) and tomorrow (Wed 9/14) she’ll get a new central line put in.

Extra prayers around the placement of the central line as the last line placed (at the end of August) caused incredible discomfort, swelling, pain, and difficulties before it was removed to try again.

Almost 4 years ago, Dr. Wang (Kay’s MCL lymphoma doctor at MD Anderson) got Dr. Champlin on the phone and said in our hearing.  

“Richard, I have a very strong lady here”.  “She will need to come to you soon for a transplant”.  

She has come along way since then.  Although she could not qualify for a transplant (auto type) back then in 2018 and 2019, she does now qualify and need a transplant (allo type, from an unrelated donor’s stem cells).

Dr. Champlin has been, for nearly 30 years, the Dept. Head of the Stem Cell Transplant program here at MDA in Houston, TX.  He is world renowned; wrote the book on SCT so to speak and has taught hundreds of other doctors the art and science of the effective Stem Cell Transplant to save people’s lives.  We are very blessed to have him as Kay’s primary care doctor.  

And now, having virtually conquered the MCL, she has a different cancer called MDS, which again is very serious and life threatening.   The B cells in her blood are no longer able to identify and bring about cell death to the cancer cells that might appear in her blood stream.  This also is related to her entire immune system being able to keep her healthy from any bacteria, virus or fungus which might try to gain entry to her body and make her sick in some other life threatening way.

She already has in her system a bacteria that is drug resistant.  Her only hope is to kill off her entire blood forming system found in her bone marrow, and start again with healthy stem cells engrafted into her system which will come from a blood donor.   This person, a 27 year old male, has already donated his blood and they have taken several units of just his stem cells during a process called apheresis.  His stem cells are here in the freezer at MDA waiting to be infused into Kay’s body on a day they call DAY ZERO.  

DAY ZERO is currently scheduled for Friday Sept. 23rd.   Much needs to take place successfully before then, otherwise this date will continue to slip backward.  She is needing transfusions for red blood cells and platelets.  She has received these now twice in the last 2 weeks.  She will have a new CVC or PICC line inserted this week into her left shoulder or arm to receive the infusions she will need.  DAY ZERO will also be the day, according to Dr. Champlin, when her donor’s blood cells will go after any remaining cancer cells that are hiding in her body, on a last ditch search and destroy mission, which is what healthy blood cells are designed to do!   

She has remained strong until recently, and will need these next 2 weeks to remain in a stable condition, in order to allow the process to move forward.   This Thursday she will be re-admitted to the hospital so her care and condition can be closely monitored as she is prepared for the infusion of the new stem cells into her blood stream, which will quickly move into her bone marrow where they will need to mature there (like an incubator for new baby chicks), before it will be able to move into the rest of her body’s circulatory system.   She likely will need many more blood transfusions until that ENGRAFTING of the new cells takes hold.  They will know within about 2 weeks after day zero, or what they call DAY 15, whether the ENGRAFTING  has successfully taken place.

There is no other plan in place for her at this time.  She has committed herself to seeing this through.  We have no other options but to support her in this decision, and pray that it will be a successful outcome.  Nothing is guaranteed.  She remains, as always ultimately in God’s hands and under his watchful eye.  He loves her even more than any of us will ever be able to.  

We will try to do bi-weekly news/status updates, or no less than once a week, if we can.  Please understand that she will not be able to respond to texts/calls in person soon, as much as she would like to if she could.  But she will continue to grow weaker over the next several weeks, which is to be expected, and then God willing, she will begin to emerge from the treatment and grow stronger later in October and November.  She will be in isolation for 90 to 100 days after DAY ZERO, as that is the period that her new cells are maturing and she begins to grow a whole new immune system inside her body.  Our activities will be very limited during that period, and no visitations should be planned.   She very well likely may be in-patient at the hospital for up to a month or so after DAY ZERO.  Then we will come back to stay here at our tiny house through the end of the year.  

Kay loves to get cards.  They do encourage her heart.  She reads each one.  Please do not send flowers or plants to the hospital.  There is danger of bacteria coming in on them that is too risky for Kay at this time.  And not to the tiny house for the same reason.  You can continue to send cards to us here at our Tiny House location at the Lakeview RV Resort.  

The address is:

DAVE AND KAY LAFRANCE
11911 SOUTH MAIN ST.  OFFICE
HOUSTON, TX  77035

I will be stopping back here at this Houston address at least twice a week, and taking any items I can back to Kay while she is staying in her hospital room.  

We appreciate the prayer support and have felt the prayers of all of you holding us up over this time.  

May God continue to richly bless each of you and your families, as he already has for us,

Dave and Kay  

A very delayed but necessary update. To my family, friends and fellow warriors: My Stem Cell Transplant is delayed. My donor cells are chilling in the freezer at MDANDERSON waiting for my body to get ready for them. I have been inpatient since Aug26 with fever of unknown/undetectable cause. I have been on strong IV antibiotics all week. We are hoping to go home to our tiny house on Tuesday. The doctors want me to have a week of rest before hitting the re-set button on Transplant.

Though not our timing, we trust in God’s timing. Though we don’t understand, we believe His ways are higher than ours. Our care team has been excellent! Just the right people to care for me. We keep looking up- unto the hills from where our help comes is from our Lord! We appreciate your prayers, support and love during this time. If you happen to see one of our kids or grandkids give them a hug from me. They have been great. They need support too. God bless you all!!!