DAY 4. Who has gained 8lbs in 4 days?! This champ! @stephentamayo is feeling well enough to document the nutritional journey that is vital to his therapy. A nutritionist visits him daily and tailorfits his meals according to his body’s needs. Watch for an update on our go-fund-me page! (And please keep sharing!) #aml #laststand #leukemiafighter #staystrongstephen #yegdads

This week has been a breath of fresh air! Stephen began treatment on Monday and has already shown improvement. For a man who has spent most of the last year in the hospital, receiving the same treatment, the same food, and the same prognosis, coming here is definitely good for his soul. The therapy he…

We took a quick 15 minute break from treatment today to take in some sunshine and to readjust our mindset. It is always hard to hear that over 99% of the blood cells in your body are blast cells and that all the standard treatment of modern day science is insufficient to treat you. It…

After a full day of treatment yesterday, we are already seeing signs of improvement. His liver had high levels of bilirubin when we arrived, it has already been reduced by half. He used to be on pain medications every four hours; he has not needed one since we arrived. He was constantly bloated and nauseated…

After a gruelling week of fevers, a potential surgery (which was not performed – thank goodness), constant bleeding, and several rejections from clinics and hospitals, we finally received some good news: Stephen was finally accepted at a clinic down in Mexico! His blast counts which was abnormally high at 130 last week was at 18…

We have hit a snag in the road. The clinic we were looking at is not able to accept him as they are not properly equipped for all his medical needs. I have since applied to various clinics and have talked to a few doctors. However, they have all been hesitant to accept him because…

Stephen is back in the hospital as of yesterday due to super high leukemia cells in his body. We also found out he caught a new infection so he is back on IV antibiotics. His doctor says that travel plans may be delayed until his counts stabilize. However they reassured us that, despite his weakened…

Stephen was first diagnosed with acute leukaemia in 2008. He relapsed in 2015 and again in 2017. This marks his tenth year battling this disease.   Last year was a tough year for our family. It started with Stephen’s second relapse with AML (acute myeloid leukemia) in January, followed by months of hospital visits due to…

Stephen met with both a naturopath and his haematologist today. Although he is in remission, both doctors still want him to continue with his chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant. He is adamantly against having a bone marrow transplant because it is evasive, it is not guaranteed (85% of transplants will relapse in five years), and because his…

It has been a difficult month for the entire team. There was a sense of urgency that engulfed our family right after Stephen was diagnosed; there were a lot of decisions to be made regarding our finances, living arrangements, changes to our daily routine, and child care. In the whirlwind of these practical grown up events,…

Goodbyes are always hard. Goodbyes at a hospital are another thing altogether. Having to explain to your two year old son why Daddy cannot come home was quite difficult. No amount of explanation would satisfy his endless tirade of “But WHY Mama?”  In the end he came up with his own explantation. “Daddy lives in…

On April 18, 2008, Stephen had just arrived in Fort McMurray for a weekend visit. Just as he pulled into the parking lot by my apartment, he received a phone call telling him to go directly to the emergency room at the University of Alberta. The results of his blood work came back and he…