Gage The Brave

This is a HANGRY/over it face this evening. But, also a day closer to being better! Today was a FULL busy day, and tomorrow is the same. But this shall pass for better and brighter days!
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What a perfectly timed send off for Gage. The fireworks, friends, family, food, and fellowship. Here we come St Jude. ❤️🙏

🚨⏰️The time has come! We received the call today, it's GO time! The donor has been matched and we begin the "Long Haul" starting this coming Sunday evening in Memphis. We are full of emotions at the moment as you can expect and so thankful for this donor. We cannot Thank our family, friends, and community for all their love and support thus far. We will get to messages and calls soon as possible as we are preparing and packing. Please keep praying for our Gage and us too❤️

Well, this week has started out with some setbacks and a HUGE blessing.
We got informed today that the first 2 donors that Gage had for his bone marrow transplant didn't work out. So, they have moved on to the third and possibly fourth choice they had. Due to this, his projected date for transplant has been pushed back a month now. We are now looking to possibly get transplant in August. So, we just have to continue the trips to the St. Judes clinic in Johnson City 2 or 3 times a week within hopes his body will maintain.
The HUGE blessing is this little community we live in. After this weekend and all the hard work everyone put in, it just proves how great of community we live in. We are so grateful and very appreciative of everything everyone has done, and like I was told at the beginning of this journey, "it will be ok, God will provide." That was proven this weekend. From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to Thank EVERYONE!!! May God Bless each of you!!!
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This week hasn't started out how we hoped it would. After a kinda rough weekend, we got labs drawn first thing Monday morning and learned that Gages aplastic anemia is getting worse. His body isn't maintaining and holding his levels like it was. So, we will be taking more trips to JCMC St. Jude Clinic to get transfusions to help his levels stay up. Also seen a ENT doctor yesterday, and he informed us that, unfortunately, he couldn't do anything for his nosebleeds due to his condition. So, as of right now, we are still waiting on Memphis to call and say they are ready to start the transplant process. As always, thank you for all the support and prayers! Please keep them coming for strength, healing, and safe travels. 🙏❤️🦅

This first week home has been a doozy. We have had multiple nosebleeds off and on all week. After platelet transfusions, the beginning of the week, and 2 bags of blood at the end of the week. We have our fingers crossed that we can make it to Monday. Gage has labs again on Monday at St. Jude Clinic in Johnson City to make sure all levels are good. Hopefully, they will be because they have scheduled him an appointment with another ENT doctor up here. 🤞 We are still waiting for the transplant team to call and tell us to head back to Memphis. Until then, we just try to maintain levels. Thank You to everyone for the prayers and support everyone has given us it is so very humbling and greatly appreciated.
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This is maintaing Aplastic Anemia...

Good job girls! Congratulations! 🦅🥎🏆

We have had some bumps in the road since getting home. But, fingers crossed no nosebleeds, and his body will maintain his levels. We go back to Johnson City Clinic on Monday for possible transfusion.
Also Gage would like to wish the softball girls good luck tomorrow. Fight like an EAGLE!!! Bring it home!

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We finally met with the Transplant team yesterday and today. We had a lot of emotions for sure and still questions unanswered.
We do know they have picked 2 donors to be tested and see if they will be willing to donate soon. We will return to Memphis 2 weeks prior to the actual donation so they can start "conditioning" Gages body. Which means they will start his chemo to clean out the rest of his bone marrow, and he will have 1 radiation treatment. They did confirm we would be in Memphis for 100-150 days. We still don't have the exact date we will be returning yet but could possibly be in the next 2-3 weeks. Continue the prayers for our little family, please.
Love y'all! 🙏❤️🦅

After a couple small nosebleeds yesterday and then gums started bleeding this evening, we ended up in the transfusion clinic to get platelets.
Tomorrow is a new day, and hopefully, the bag of platelets will hold up for a little while. We will have more labs drawn tomorrow to see how his body is holding up.
On a brighter note, it was very good to see "home faces" as we walked out of the housing unit today we saw sweet Hagen, so full of life. Then, as we walked into the infusion center, we saw Madelyn and her family. The Eagles are definitely soaring in Memphis right now! Just breaks your heart to see these babies go through all this, but like a momma that I met down here said, "no matter what, keep your faith during the hard times and keep praying and he will take care of us." So, if everyone would just keep praying for these babies and our families. That will keep these Eagles soaring! We love all y'all!




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**UPDATE**

We saw the ENT doctor this morning, and unfortunately, he can't do anything for Gages nosebleeds at this time. He stated his platelets are way too low for him to attempt to cauterize any vessels. So, we maintain his nosebleeds with medication given and possibly platelet infusions.
We have some days off from doctors, but they ask for us to stay close to the hospital due to his numbers being so low and not wanting to transfuse unless they absolutely have to due to transplant. We will be meeting with the transplant team next week to find out when we will start the bone marrow transplant process. Until then, prayers would be greatly appreciated for no bleeding. ❤️🙏🦅

**UPDATE**
All of Gages appointments were good today. So far, no nosebleeds, and we were so surprised after his numbers came back. His numbers are very close to transfusion. They are the lowest they have ever been. But, his body is adapting to it very well. He's still the same ole Gage. Ready to go! Tomorrow is a big day for him he FINALLY meets with an ENT doctor, so maybe fewer nosebleeds, we hope! Like always, thank you for the prayers! We love all y'all!
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We made it back to Memphis. As we call it "our second home now,"
I will say Scott County is down here fighting for sure. When you get here and see familiar faces from Scott County, you really feel at home.
Gage has a full morning with appointments, and hopefully, his numbers have held up, and he won't need a transfusion. Like always, thank you to EVERYONE for the prayers and love. We love all y'all!
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Our little community is just heartbroken. In all of my years alive, I have never known of so many kids sick in one community and at St. JUDE. But, I will say I'm very thankful we have St. Jude, because they are wonderful. All we can do as a community is pray and trust in the Lord. Have faith and let him do what he does.
With that being said, after about a week home, which has felt AMAZING. It is slowly coming to a close. With a few minor nosebleeds and one big one, our week home is coming to an end. Today, we will do labs and see if he needs to be transfused before heading back tomorrow. We don't meet with the transplant team until next week but, the most exciting appointment right now is ENT he will FINALLY see a nose doctor Friday with hopes some of the nosebleeds can be prevented and we will only have them when his body says his platelets are to low. Please pray for safe travels out tomorrow morning and continue to pray for our little community. With prayers and faith, we can overcome anything. Thank You to EVERYONE! and as always, we love all y'all!
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***UPDATE****

We won the lottery in the Aplastic Anemia world. When Gage got sent to St. Jude he was put under a trial that they were doing for treatment of Aplastic Anemia. This didn't change the way he would or has been treated it actually gave us the treatment we needed to cure his disease, hopefully.
When treating Aplastic Anemia without a trial they start the patients out on Immunosuppressant or (IST) which takes months and months to years and if the body doesn't respond the correct way then they would do a Bone Marrow Transplant. Well, under the trial, you get randomized in the computer, and it picks what treatment the patient starts with. Gage got drawn for Bone Marrow Transplant. Thank God! He won't have to go through months and months and years of IST. He will just have to receive a bone marrow transplant once, hopefully, fingers crossed, with many prayers, and the good lord above he will be cured. As long as his body accepts the new marrow.
With all this news, his counts are still low, so he still has to remain sick free, hopefully.We did get to come home this weekend and head back next week for more appointments. Then, head back home for a couple more weeks, and then we will be heading back out for 4-5 months to stay close to the hospital.
Also, as Gage says, "he's famous," he will be the first at St. Jude in this trial to get the Bone Marrow Transplant and also the first at the St. Jude Clinic in Johnson City.
We know none of this would have worked the way it has without the good lord above and without all the prayers that have been said for him. So, please keep them coming. Pray that his body accepts this new Bone Marrow Transplant, and he will be cured. THANK YOU! To EVERYONE for everything. We love all of y'all.
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After an exciting morning with a nosebleed, that wouldn't stop. We are back in our room after 2 bags of platelets. He's doing better. Thank God! Keep those prayers coming is all we ask. Thank You to everyone! 🙏❤️🦅

****UPDATE****

After we had a short weekend of rest at home. We came back today within hope's of finding out the treatment plan. Unfortunately, the 1 test we are waiting on isn't back. But, they assured us it would be back Wednesday, and we would know the plan then. They did say his levels are dropping slowly, and they will be starting him on antibiotics Wednesday as preventative measures from any infections. Hopefully, after Wednesday, we'll be coming home for the weekend but, returning Monday to be admitted to the hospital to start treatment. As always, thank you to everyone for your continued prayers and support with this situation. We love every one of you!
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After a very Looooong day and evening yesterday. We now have a lot of the questions answered. First off, this diagnosis has been gradually affecting him slowly, but with him always being a healthy boy with only seasonal allergies, NEVER did we think we would get told, "Your son is very sick."
Over the past 3-4months he was gradually loosing hair (which we blamed on him wearing a ball cap all the time) He would get tired faster than usual (which was blamed on his sleep schedule not being regular and increase in activities.) Then he started complaining of heart palpitations and we did the whole blood work and seen cardiology with the heart monitor and all. (He's a teenage boy who is growing and has an increase in hormones and everything's fine.) Which it did look fine, no labs were outstanding or anything. Then, in between all that, he started having nosebleeds about 1 every week or so, nothing that didn't stop in 10-15 minutes. (Which was pointed toward seasonal allergies and dry air.) We started back on allergy medicine regularly and put a humidifier near him. Th, n towards the end of April, the nosebleeds got worse and were getting worse to control. Once again, I took him to the doctor and got a referral for an ENT doctor. Then that Saturday night, we was up and down all night with it slowly bleeding until it wouldn't stop. Took him to the ER, where we found out his blood was severely low, and so were his platelets. His blood wasn't clotting, so he was just free bleeding.
This brings us to the past 3 weeks of everything being turned upside down.
They told us yesterday that his official diagnosis is Severe Aplastic Anemia. It isn't a form of any cancer it is a disease that he has acquired over time. They seem to think where he had covid five times and the flu twice back to back, pretty much killed his immune system, which in turn attacked his body and let his bone marrow fail. So, now his bone marrow can't make new because his body is attacking it's self. His labs show his body is trying but not without medicine to keep him from freely bleeding from his nose. We will have to get infusions of blood and platelets frequently until the treatment plan is put into place.
The plan for right now to keep him kinda in a bubble so he doesn't get any bruises or injuries due to his labs already being so low. Also, to keep him germ free as best as we can due to his immune system not being up to fighting off any virus or infection. Fingers crossed, the last test will be back Monday, and we can proceed with a treatment plan. We have been told more than once that what he has is a rare condition that 1 out of 2 people in 1 million get this condition. So, it's a hurry up and wait to get the "correct" treatment plan.
I know this post is verrrrry long, but I wanted to try to answer everyone's questions. We have a very long road ahead of us.
Everyone's love, support, and prayers are so greatly appreciated, and we love all of you. Thank you to EVERYONE!! 🙏❤️🦅

If everyone doesn't mind. Could y'all say a little prayer that we get answers, insight, and plan of treatment tomorrow. We will be meeting with his team of doctors in the morning. Thanks to everyone for everything. It's so greatly appreciated!!! 🙏❤️🦅

This is such a blessing!!

Today wasn't what we wanted to hear. With a small nosebleed this morning, which was controlled by the new medicine. (Thank God!) Starting off with labs and learning, all levels are dropping slowly. Then to the doctors told us we were still in the hurry up and wait phase with a treatment plan. Then them telling us we will be here another week. We all are just disheartened because we are ready to come home for at least a couple of days. But, very thankful we have the opportunity to have these wonderful doctors and specialists to help Gage.
They did say that they will hopefully know more on Thursday when we go back. With all that being said, continue prayers for healing and strength. Prayers for answers soon and no nosebleeds in between. We love all y'all and thank all of you for the prayers and continue support. 🙏❤️🦅

Happy Mother's Day to all the mommas out there. Even though our Mother's Day is a little different today, I'm very thankful and blessed. ❤️🙏

Karen Hammonds is doing this. See details below. Thank You! To everyone

They are selling for 1 more week.

Today was a good day. Gage did great after his procedure. He didn't have to have a transfusion today, which was great. We have a free weekend to get rested up for a new week, and hopefully, some test results will be returned so we can start on a certain treatment plan. Everyone's love and support are greatly appreciated and prayers most of all. These eagles are soaring down in Memphis. ❤️🙏🧡🙏🦅

First, I would like to express all the love and support we have received. We really don't know how to repay everyone. But, very thankful we live in such a small town that sticks together when someone is in need.
Yesterday was a free day for us, so we rested all day to prepare for today. We have a big day today. Starting at 7am, we will have labs, meeting with the doctors, transfusion of blood and platelets, and then to the OR to have another bone marrow aspiration and skin biopsy. All this within hopes to figure out the severity of his aplastic anemia and treatment plan.
We are still up in the air to when we will be coming home at this point. We are hoping soon, but as of now, it's undetermined. Gage isn't taking to this no energy thing. If y'all know Gage, he's usually up doing something or wanting to do something, so this has slowed him down. With all this being said, if everyone would whisper a prayer today for strength for him and some answers. Also, continue prayers for the other eagle in the nest down here. ❤️🙏🧡🦅

This past week has been the biggest whirlwind we have ever been in. So far, we haven't learned anything new besides what we already knew. Thursday is when we go for another bone marrow aspiration within hopes to finally find out the "why" and the treatment plan that is needed. Right now, we are trying to maintain his levels. Everyone's prayers are greatly appreciated, and continue to pray for the other eagle down here also. Two eagles in the nest at St. Jude and they are going to Soar!! Thank you! To everyone. ❤️🙏🧡🙏🦅

This page has been designed to keep Gage included as much as possible while he is at St. Judes and also to update our friends and family back home. Please post us all wonderful things to keep him included. We appreciate each of you so very much for your love, support, and prayers. They are very much needed. We made it to St Jude safely and have a long week of testing and procedures ahead. Yesterday was very overwhelming but necessary to get started. Thanks again for everything most of all your prayers.❤️🙏🦅