Morgan Donato’s Blog

Happy Birthday Morgan!
Tuesday June 23rd was Morgan’s 8th birthday which we celebrated in the Hospital.  It was bittersweet because Morgan was still having great difficulty with the pain, and depression caused by her GVHD flare-up but still tried to enjoy it the best she could.
This last week has proved to be a punishing round for [...]

We checked back into the hospital today.  Morgan’s pain management became too much to handle at home.  Her skin rash is quite bad on her face, feet, hands, and lower extremities.  It looks and feels like 2nd degree burns.
The sores are in her throat as well, which makes it almost impossible to eat.  She is taking [...]

So, taking it one day at a time.  What is called GVHD (graft versus host disease) has struck on Morgan’s skin, in the form of a very nasty rash.  We want some GVHD, because, well, something about it meaning that her body knows that something foreign has entered her body and is fighting it (hence [...]

So we have been out of the hospital since Tuesday afternoon.  Of course by Tuesday evening, Morgan had already had a playdate with Maxine and Ocean!  Having some difficulty sleeping thru the evenings, due to some GVHD (this a a good thing when it is a little bit) with her skin.  It gets quite itchy [...]

Sorry you are just hearing the news on the blog today.  Out celebrating yesterday.  Yup, typical Morgan.  Doctors came in yesterday and told her dad that as long as she posts no fever over the weekend, we are home on Tuesday!  420 ANC with 100 cells!!!  So I called Morgan, who has just started texting, [...]

The well wishes paid off, as Morgan’s Dad’s blog shows!  See the Newsletter from St. Peter’s below:
When Mrs. Moore (Prekindergarten Teacher) and Mrs. Seltzer (Early Childhood Division Director) took their Prekindergaten friends, Mason Siegel and Drew Cohen, to the Phillies game on May 31, they also brought with them the get-well wishes of the entire [...]

Again Morgan amazes us!  Her goal is to hit an ANC count of 200, maintain it for 2 days, and her cell count needs to be at 50.  Once she hits those numbers she just needs to be weaned off her meds, and eat and drink on her own and she can go home.
Her counts [...]

Day 12 we had 55 cells, an increase in white blood and PLTS, no ANC.  DAY 13, we have 35 cells, platelettes are up as well as white blood and toot the horn!  ANC of 75….woo hoo!!!!  We will be on the number roller coaster ride for a while, but things are on the right track….gooooooooo [...]