A very special day

Today is a day of great significance to the Mo'Betta family.  It's H-U-G-E and couldn't let the day go by without talking about it!  Today is my Dad's one year "Re-Birthday"!  On this day last year, he received a life saving stem cell transplant.  Stem cells that were donated by a random, unrelated person whom we will be forever greatful.  Donating stem cells is NOT a difficult or painful process.  Learn more about it www.marrow.org!  Get registered, it's free (due to donations) and it's super simple.  I'm a registered donor, and would love to get called as a match for someone in need.  It is the best way I can think of to "pay it forward".

This is my Dad's nurse administering his life saving stem cells!!

My Dad had Leukemia, a blood cancer.  With the type of Leukemia he had, his best chance of survival was with a stem cell transplant.  He had to undergo several rounds of chemotherapy to get the Leukemia in remission first, and after weeks and weeks of being on the donor list, a match was found.  That was a super, fantastic day as well!  Transplants are very, very risky.  There are so many complications that arise, and for my Dad to have reached the one year mark and to be doing as well as he is, it is a miracle.  We are so grateful and blessed on so many levels, I can't even begin to put it into words.  To learn more about blood cancers, go HERE.  The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is a great resource.  My family will be participating in an annual fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in a few months, so I'll be talking about it more later.  Some of you may remember when we did the Light the Night Walk last year.  It was a great experience.

I'm so thankful for the technology that has evolved to make stem cell/bone marrow transplants a possibility.  I believe the key to curing cancer lies in stem cells, but much more research is needed.

I'm also thankful that my children can write things like this...

If you know anyone dealing with a blood cancer, feel free to share the resources I have mentioned above.  Another good one is http://www.bmtinfonet.org/.

It's a happy day!!