Our Extraordinary

It is exactly one month since Stephen started his treatment program at the Immunity Therapy Center. We are still adjusting to the many changes the home program requires while balancing his daily transfusions and hospital visits. We had several scares and some small victories since he has come home. The most recent scare was the…

Stephen’s second week started off well but we hit a few bumps towards the middle of the week. From what we have been told (and from what I have read), the body’s natural response to intensive detox is to enter into a “healing crisis” where things seem to get worse before they get better. As…

Stephen is better today. He had no fever and his pain was reduced enough for him to have dinner. He received his second dose of stem cells today and continued with most of his regular therapies. His doctors are currently concerned about his blood production as his levels aren’t quite able to stabilize and he…

I was hoping we would breeze through this part or avoid it altogether, however it seems as if Stephen has entered a difficult but necessary process called a “healing crisis.” He was in a lot of pain last night and had a fever this morning. Apparently when the body undergoes a drastic change in treatment…

@stephentamayo is stronger everyday and although no cure is guaranteed, his spirit has been unwavering and his hope infectious. He has been reconnecting with old friends in between his treatments and your messages have really lifted his spirits. As I begin to make my plans to come home this weekend, the last week will rest…

It is not always easy. On days like today we are grateful for strangers who donate their blood. His heart rate soars from 30BPM to 89BPM within fifteen minutes of receiving blood. He needs at least one bag everyday to maintain proper heart function. Whereever you are in the world, please consider donating blood if…

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…