I have so much on my plate right now that I don’t even know where to begin most days. I’ve sat down to write many times, but something always comes up that pulls me in another direction – even if it’s just my own thoughts getting in the way. It’s been a tough month ya’ll, so bear with me.

As I shared briefly in a previous post, my 7 year old niece Launa was diagnosed with MDS, which is a rare bone marrow failure disorder. In January of 2016 just 10 months prior to Launa’s diagnosis, my sister-in-law, her mother, was diagnosed with breast cancer and went through a very aggressive treatment plan so she saw first hand the ugly side effects of chemo. And then my brother found out in the midst of all of this that his body was rejecting the kidney transplant he had the year prior. It’s too much to digest and in such a short span of time. I hate this for them. I want to fix it and I can’t.

Launa underwent an intense week of chemotherapy followed by a bone marrow transplant and a 5 week hospital stay. Things took an unexpected turn for the worse 7 days post-transplant when she went into septic shock. Survival was never a question in my mind when she began her treatment. I knew it was going to suck, but I never imagined we could lose her. And then we almost did and it put everything into perspective.

They didn’t get to choose the direction in which their life has unfolded, but they do get to choose how they handle it. Their story is one of strength, perseverance and unwavering faith that is becoming a source of inspiration for people all across the US.  I’m the self-appointed Family Chief Communications Officer, because it’s the one thing I know I can control in these situations, so I started a community Facebook page called Launa Goldrick’s Spirit Squad. The hundreds of comments, prayers, likes, video messages and pictures shared on a daily basis truly helped us get through our darkest hours.

On May 18th, Launa walked out of the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital to a chorus of nurses and Dr’s cheering her on! I posted the video on her Facebook page and it has already been viewed 11,500 times. 500 of those were probably me and I ugly cried all 500 times. A friend of mine told me she chose a career in nursing not only to witness a miracle, but to be a part of one. Watching Launa walk out of there on her own is nothing short of a miracle. The goal of a bone marrow transplant is full, permanent replacement of the recipients bone marrow by the donor’s stem cells. Yesterday we received the results of her biopsy that showed NO abnormal blasts of cells and 100% ENGRAFTMENT! In summary, IT WORKED PERFECTLY! *more ugly crying*

It’s often difficult to see beyond the struggles that lie in front of you, but I can’t seem to shake this feeling that something bigger than us is happening right now. I’ve always said Launa inherited my gift of storytelling and I can’t help but wonder if God connected her and I with this talent to someday serve a much greater purpose.

If you are interested in learning more about how you can potentially save a life, please consider registering to be a bone marrow donor through Be The Match. It takes 10 minutes to fill out the online registration and then they send you a swab kit in the mail. It’s that easy.

XO,

Amy