April 16

Thank you to all of you who have donated funds or are joining us in the Race for Hope on May 2.  There are over 440 teams signed up so far, and the event has raised over $1 million to date. JD and I are reminded through events like this how lucky we are to have such support among our family and friends.  There is still time to sign up to join us -- online registration runs till April 25th.  

After 1 more visit to the ER and seemingly endless talks with doctors, other parents, and hours of late night reading, we have settled on new a protocol which Clay started yesterday.  The good news is that this type of chemo does not require a 3 hour infusion over an IV drip, so we are now in the "express lane" for weekly appointment that should take about 2 hours instead of the 5 hours we have been committed to for the past year.  The side-effects should be minimal, with low blood counts being the one to follow most closely.  Our biggest concern remains the headaches Clay is still getting and we pray these will soon subside.

Clay started school last week and so far so good. He is a social guy, and is loving the interaction with teachers and his peers.  One person missing from his life these days is a favorite nurse, Kristin.  She is taking a break from the clinic by volunteering her services on the Mercy Ship, currently docked in Togo, Africa.  Every week we hear "Kristin will be back soon...in May."  So Kristin, this picture of Clay is for you -- a recent photo of his creation made at the Art Table.