Today was transplant day - Kelly has a new second "Birthday". Now that the diseased cells have been destroyed along with his bone marrow, it was time for the transplant, or rescue. He was infused with 10 million of his own stem cells - similar to a blood trnsfusion. It took about one hour with no serious complocations. They had given him a lot of pre-meds to help with any reactions. A doctor brought his stem cells in a big round cooler filled with dry ice. All of the nurses came in and sang Happy Birthday, gave him a birthday balloon and a blanket made by a transplant surviver. They defrosted the bag of stem cells and then hooked them up to his central line. The preservative they use to store the stem cells in smelled like creamed corn. Kelly got to suck on a sucker to avoid the taste but we all got to smell it. These new cells will travel through his bloodstream and into his bone marrow. Once in his bone marrow, they begin their job of making new bold cells and rebuilding his immune system. They referre to this day as "Day Zero," the day that starts the post-transplant count. They consider it Kelly's second birthday. Both sets of parents George, Sally, Dave and Dona were all here to celebrate with us. We even got a visit from Sam. Thanks for all being here.