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Help DJ (age 12) beat leukaemia

  • Going to transplant

      12 October 2020
    Posted by: Megan Aramoana

    Kia Ora all you wonderful people. Just an update on DJ.

    A few weeks ago DJ had a massive prolonged seizure on the immunotherapy drug he was on. As a result of this, he is no longer able to have the drug.

    We have had to fast track his transplant. Tomorrow we are moving into the transplant unit where we will stay until he is okay. He will start radiation on Wednesday. His brother is going to be his donor which is only a half match. Actual transplant date is 27 October.

    Once again, our whanau would like to thank you all for the ongoing support and love.

    Megan

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  • Thank you

      23 August 2020
    Posted by: Megan Aramoana

    Kia Ora koutou, my name is Megan and I am DJ’s mum.

    On behalf of myself, DJ and our whanau I just wanted to say we are so overwhelmed and touched by the donations and messages of love we are receiving from you all. Thank you so so much. You will forever hold a special place in our hearts 💕 x

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  • 23 August 202

      23 August 2020
    Posted by: Megan Aramoana

    Thought I would give you all an outline of how DJ's treatment is going to be.

    On Friday night he started on a drug called blinatumomab which is a type of immunotherapy drug or a monoclonal antibody. He was not very well all through the first night and was under the PARs nurse - patient at risk nurse. Tomorrow they are looking at increasing the dosage to see how well his body adjusts to it. The drug is run continuously and will be attached to him for 28 days. At the end of this they will retest his bone marrow and complete another 28 days. It is the hope that after this the cancer cells will be low enough for DJ to be able to go to transplant. If not they will most likely try another drug and retest again. If these do not work there is the option of going to Australia for CarT cell treatment. However, the drugs D is on destroy some of his T cells and to go to Australia he needs those cells and obviously to wait for the T cells also means the cancer increasing. So it is a bit of a balancing act and a lot of having to wait and see.

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