Bainbridge Island, Grandparents, Swiss Television…

Friday

Another week has gone by and a lot has happend. On Friday we only had a short visit at the Clinic. Checking Liam’s blood levels and a dressing change for his Hickman line. He still very much enjoys his milk foam, we got him a whole cup of it.

After the visit we had the afternoon off and walked to Magnuson Park, which is about 2.5 miles away from home. Unfortunately it started raining once we got there, so only got a glimpse of it’s beauty.

Weekend

Saturday we had the pleasure to spend the day with Katie and Matt. We got to know them through Paul and Nancy from Heritage (Katie’s parents). They picked us up at noon and even had a car seat installed for Liam. After a 30 minute ferry ride we arrived on Bainbridge Island. We got to experience the diversity of Bloedel Reserve and nature at it’s best. We really enjoyed getting out of the University Distrcit for once. We were very lucky to get such nice weather.

We ended the day with a nice dinner at Cactus where they served some delicious Mexican food.

It was a great day with even better company.

Sunday Liam needed another platelet transfusion to fuel his storage for a couple of days. The weather was even better than on Saturday, so we went out to explore the Union Bay Natural Area right around the corner. We even got to see Mount Rainier. Liam was in a great mood and walked for quite a bit.

Monday

As Liam was not only low on platelets, but also on red blood cells, he needed additional transfusion. This usually takes up to 4 hours, but they were well prepared at the hospital and were ready to go as we arrived. It was fine with Liam, as he had his reading material with him.

In the afternoon Tiffany’s bike finally arrived and we just had to assemble her bike and Liam’s trailer. Unfortunately we didn’t have the right pump, so we had to go out and buy the right one, so we had to postpone our first bike ride. Liam was very helpful though.

Tuesday

As Monday was Martin Luther King Day and the hospital was only open for urgent matters, the clinic was very crowded. We had labs again and bridged the waiting time with breakfast at the canteen. His blood levels were fine, so we were able to go home again.

After a quick Lunch at St. Helen’s Cafe and Liam’s naptime we went out for our first bike ride. We weren’t sure how much Liam would enjoy it, but we let the picture speak for itself.

Wednesday

Liam was very excited as he was awaiting visitors from Switzerland. Tiffany’s parents Uschi and Reto arrived in the afternoon.

A full house again, which we very much enjoy. We showed them our favourite spot in the University Village, Joey. Great food and atmosphere, although Liam didn’t get to experience it as much.

Thursday

Today was a very eventful day. We got visited from Jacqueline, a filmmaker from Swiss National Television. She wanted to follow up on his story, as they already filmed us right before we left for Seattle. She accompanied us to the hospital and followed us on our hospital routine. We also met with Dr. Gardner, she updated us on the status of the cells and the plan for the following weeks. Liam is scheduled to get his T-cell infusion on January 31 and will beforehand get chemotherapy for four days. They are pleased with his current condition. He even got a sneak peak at the recorded material. They are making a documentary about the new treatment. We hope this helps making the treatment known in Switzerland and make it possible for others to get the treatment in their home country.

We hope you enjoyed this short update.

Best wishes from the Little Big Hero team 😉