The back story...

Here’s a little back story on this trip. Roughly two years ago I started researching stem cell therapy for Colt. We banked Jaxon’s cord blood 7 years ago, with hopes that the technology would one day catch up to sibling cord blood for CP treatment. They are currently treating CP in the US with your own cord blood successfully (Duke University is at the forefront of these trials and seeing success). We tried to get into their sibling study but we weren’t chosen. I’ve been digging around trying to see what our options are, and I kept coming up short. I stumbled on a YouTube video of a child with Autism being treated outside the U.S. by the Stem Cell Institute, so I looked into it and it seemed really promising but also really scary what with the international travel component. I’ll be very honest, and I am embarrassed to say this, I had no idea what Panama was like and I pre-judged it as being scary to navigate. I kept my eye on it and went back to it a few times, but I just didn’t feel the push. 

Last year, as most know, we started the Hemp Oil journey and that brought us huge progress. Things were going really well, and when things are good- at least for me, my search for great wasn’t on the radar. I recently heard a saying, “good is the enemy of great.” Things were good enough. That all changed a few months ago when Colt had to change teachers, and his AMAZING school aid- both were very hard for him to deal with leaving. Everything was new, and we fell apart. All the progress we saw, was evaporating quickly. It was a good wake up call. The hemp oil is huge and we will never be without it, but it isn’t a cure. It’s a huge help, but the reality is- it’s not enough. It isn’t enough for him to be able to truly deal with life. If life hasn’t been hard for you- just live longer. It’s hard for him, and I am realizing it will just get worse. The gap is widening, and the challenges will just get bigger. 

I always imagined that if God called me to something, it would be something that I wanted to do. That’s not actually how it goes, it turns out. He calls you to things you usually don’t want to do, or are terrified of, in an effort to shape you. A friend of mine called me one day in the middle of this mess, and said they were seriously going to move forward with stem cells. We had previous conversations about it, and the call came at the exact right moment. I made an appointment with an OC doctor, and started reading everything I could get my hands on. I did nothing but research for two solid weeks. We saw the local doctor, but felt no connection to it. It was unbelievably clear to me, we were going to Panama. It didn’t come from me. It was an exterior push, that I can’t even explain. I was terrified, I didn’t want to go but knew we had to. 

I applied to Panama, got an answer from them within two days and had a full approval within a week. It all happened so fast. I prayed about it, dove into the bible and my study and just felt like everything was pointing me to this. I was hoping to talk myself out of it. International travel with two kids (which might sound fun to the adventurous person, but that isn’t really me), the idea that he would cooperate for 5 “pokes” (1 blood draw and 4 IV infusions), and what would he feel like? It was all kind of suffocating. The dates came, and I chose the next available treatment and had it all booked that day. Extremely ungraceful, is how I would characterize the way I handled the 6 weeks leading up to the trip. I wallowed in stress, and worse case scenarios. 

99 out of 100 things we worry about don’t happen. What an epic waste of energy. The trip was amazing. The staff were incredible. We didn’t just survive the trip, I really enjoyed it. We don’t know what will happen, if it will work, or what to even expect. But having hope, is something that I haven’t had in a long time. They said it can take up to 6 months to see any changes. I will do my best to update everyone on what unfolds. I am, as always, so grateful for the prayers and well-wishes from everyone. I know for a fact, that prayer works. He is living proof.