Six years ago today

6 years ago today Andy received Sofia’s stem cells.

Thank you list: 

To the people that took care of Andy while in the hospital (more or less in a chronological order):

– Gracias Vero por estar ahí con nosotros el día que nació Andy.

– Dr. Maya, gracias por enseñarnos que algunos doctores simplemente están muy saturados.
– Dr. Maulen, más o menos tenía razón, gracias. Gracias por enseñarnos que la gamma globulina no es cosa tan mala.
Dr. Kretchmer (Rest in Peace), thank you for saving his life on numerous occasions and at teaching me the most valuable lessons of my life. Thank you teaching me that “Absence of proof is not a proof of absence” and thank you for all the other phrases that kept me busy trying to find the diagnosis.
– Dr. Madrazo, gracias por tratar de entender esto.
– Dr. Martinez Natera, gracias por ser el primero en mencionar indirectamente condiciones genéticas.
– Enfermeras Hospital ABC gracias por la introducción a bombas y catéteres (pudo haber estado peor…)
– Dr. Sanchez gracias por sus cálculos y por enseñarnos que Andy podía recibir nutrición por las venas.
– Dr. Gimenez gracias por la introducción a la investigación médica básica.
– Dr. Torres gracias por haber estado ahí en Noche Buena y en Navidad en la sala de operaciones. Gracias por enseñarnos que tener un hoyo en el estómago (literalmente) no es tan malo.
-Dr. Sokol thank you for the introduction to gastroenterology.
Dr. Gelfand thank you for teaching us that medical research comes in different languages.
Dr. Melgoza gracias por ayudarnos a encontrar que los recursos de investigación médica en México no eran suficientes para ayudar a Andy. Gracias por recomendar salir de Mexico.
– Dr. Vazquez, gracias por cuidarlo, y gracias por cacharme cuando me desmayé
Dr. Nurko, thank you for your trust and thank you for always being there when we need you. Thank you for having very good hands. Thank you for talking on the radio about Andy.
Dr. Turvey, thank you for the first written diagnosis and thank you for your help with official letters.
Joanna Hedstrom thank you for your help with hospital bills.
Dr. Orange, thank you for your incredible mind. Thank you for your friendship. Thank you for discovering NEMO and thank you for the inspiration to create Andy’s website. Thank you for inviting us for dinner and thank you for Andy’s 2nd birthday party. Thank you for being there in the ER when I was away and saving his life. Thank you for letting us know that there’s someone else out there. And thank you for teaching us that there’s always an option.
Dr. Geha, thank you for knowing who we are and for being there all the time. Thank you for letting us step into your office anytime and for answering emails so fast.
Nurse Ana Maria, thank you for teaching us how to take care of Andy. 
Nurse Ruth, thank you for making us smile.
Nurse Aimee, thank you for teaching us that nurses also cry.
Dr. Gellis, thank you for helping us find about ectodermal dysplasia.
Thank you Mary Kaye Richter for answering our messages and referring us to Dr. Zonana.
7 East thank you for being our second home and for the introduction to Boston. Thank you for teaching us how to do intramuscular injections.
Carole F. thank you for your friendship and for listening to us.
To Parents of children who passed away while we were in the hospital, thank you for the creative spiritual influence. And to the Children who passed away while we were in the hospital, rest in peace.
8 East thank you for letting us paint the windows.
Dr. Borovoy, gracias por mantenerlo a salvo.
Mr. Albater, thank you for teaching me that being in the hospital with Children is tougher than being a prisoner of war.
Dr. Zonana, thank you for finding NEMO.
Dr. Murray, thank you for the introduction to genetic tests using a buccal swab.
Dr. Bale, thank you for confirming the genetic diagnosis.
Vicki and Fred Modell thank you for telling us about transplants and thank you for all the invitations to the Red Sox games, dinner parties and boat trips. And thank you for all that you do for children with primary immune deficiencies.
Dr. Pai, thank you for being right. Thank you for following our story and for being right again, and thank you for knocking on wood.
Dr. Frank thank you for talking to us about genetics.
Dr. Harris, thank you for telling me I could be a doctor.
Dr. Hughes, thank you for your generosity and your explanations about pre-implantation genetic diagnosis.
Laurie Strongin and Allen Goldberg, thank you for being PDF pioneers.
Dianne Gates, thank you for all the in vitro fertilization medication vials.
Dr. Jain, thank you for knowing so much about NEMO.
Dr. Cardone, thank you for giving us more options.
Dr. Hardy thank you for implanting the right cells and advicing us to let them settle.
Max Leonardo, gracias por las medicinas de fertilización in vitro. Y Lupita gracias por tu ayuda.
Renee Genovese, thank you for being so professional when talking about genetics.
Arden Hill thank you for teaching us that playing with food is not a bad thing.
Vicki Nahmad, thank you for introducing us to the school system in Massachusetts.
Shannon HennigHolly SudaLeigh-Anne PorterLaura MerlKim Deveau Dern, thank you for teaching Andy how to eat. 
Elyse Topp-Poirier thank you for running the Boston marathon for Andy twice.
Brian Serroul thank you for running the Boston marathon for Andy.
Dr. Samuels thank you for teaching us about regular padiatrics.
Jorge Luis d’Argence gracias por correr el maratón de Paris por Andy.
Dr. Verlinsky thank you for your generosity and for doing what you do.
Dr. Butte thank you for your friendship and for keeping us in touch with other families with primary immune deficiencies.
Dr. Lemon, thank you for saving his life.
Nurse Kelli, thank you for your friendship, thank you for making it fun and doing it right. Thank you for defying gravity and for putting a smile on his face. Thank you for running the marathon for Andy
.
Dr. Sachs, thank you for treating us like normal people and thank you for reading all those emails.
Dr. Lehman, thank you for saving Andy’s life and thank you for taking care of Sofia. Thank you for making it easier.
Nurse Maura, thank you for arriving just in time and for saving Andy’s life.
Nurse Lissa, thank you for talking to me about gadgets in the middle of the night.
Dr. Callaway, thank you for making it fun, your political career is not over.
Nurse Robin, thank you for directing the World Series trophy to Andy’s room.
Nurse Lissa P. thank you for teaching us that nurses also use skateboards.
Six West thank you for showing us the fun part of tough things and difficult moments.
To the Phlebotomists, thank you for trying your best.
To the people we’ve never met like Lab. Technitians, or Pharmacists who mix medications, thank you.
Thank you Mr. Cyr for letting my name be next to yours.
Thank you Bess for following our story.

To Andy’s blood donors:
-A los donadores de sangre:
Mauricio Hernandez gracias, tienes muy buenas venas.
Jorge Elliot gracias.
Ana Jose Z. de Gonzalez gracias.
Children’s Hospital Denver blood bank, thank you.
Salvador Albino, gracias.
Agustin Hernandez Aguirre, gracias.
Children’s Hospital Boston blood bank, thank you.

To the more than 100 people who registered (or at least tried to register) as stem cell donors through a public registry for Andy thank you.

-A las más de 100 personas que se registraron (o por lo menos trataron de registrarse) como donadores de células madre por medio de un registro público por Andy, gracias.

And to the more than 80 people who registered through our own registry (via Fedex) and donated $80 to do it, thank you.

-Y a las más de 80 personas que se registraron por medio de nuestro propio registro (vía Fedex) y donaron $800 para hacerlo, gracias.

-A las voluntarias que cuidaron a Andy, ClaudiaIvonneCarolinaAna JoseMyrna,RocioMaleAna Jose RosasDolores (Lita)MarianaRosa Elena and Alejandra, gracias.

Thank you to Andy’s teachers at Lawrence School, NorthEastern, Burr, Nixon and Loring.

Thank you Roberta for being Andy’s tutor and for your friendship.

Thank you Mala for your help.

Thank you to our Family Members and Friends who followed the story, thank you for the messages of support and for your prayers.

-Gracias a nuestros Familiares Amigos que siguieron la historia, gracias por los mensajes de apoyo y por sus oraciones.

-A mi Papá, mi Suegro and my Abuelo gracias por su apoyo financiero.

Opapa thank you for calling so often to see how we were doing. Thank you for visiting us.

To those of you who have a “I helped Andy” T-shirt, baseball cap, or flash light key chain, thank you. Or raffle tickets, bracelets, calling cards, golf balls and the ones who bought a bag of coffee or a box of peaches, thank you. And thank you to the sponsors of all the products.

-A las personas que tengan una camiseta “Yo ayude a Andy, gorra, lámpara llavero, gracias. O a quienes compraron boletos de la rifa, pulseras, tarjetas telefónicas, pelotas de golf, bolsas de café, o una caja de duraznos, gracias. Y a los patrocinadores de esos productos, gracias.

To the people who didn’t buy anything but did send a donation, thank you.

– A las personas que no compraron algo pero si mandaron un donativo, gracias.

Special thanks to the person who bought a door through Andy’s website (yes we sold a door through Andy’s website).

Thank you Ricardo (Rest in Peace) or all the autographs. And thank you to all the people who helped us find autographs.

-Gracias Do
ña Margot 
por su apoyo y por organizar la fiesta de cumpleaños de Andy en Tuxtla.

-Gracias Doña Soco por sus oraciones y por tener el cirio prendido.

-Gracias Victor por tu ayuda vendiendo boletos de la rifa y a todos los demás voluntarios que vendieron un total de novecientos noventa y nueve boletos. NatPericlesDiego Ch.Ale d’A.Francisco GonzalezAntonio MayerPaty PiñaAna Paula O.Maaike del VillarDavid CastilloChendo V.Mimi GomezMale F.Fernando B.Maguis,Luz Ma. d’A.Alma RosaJose Manuel O.Lucia F.Jerry GalvanMarysela R.,Eugenio S.IleanaKike, gracias. Gracias a Victor por hablar sobre Andy frente a cientos de personas.

-Gracias Carmina y Manolo por enseñarnos sobre transplantes, son muy fuertes!

-Gracias Victor por hablar sobre Andy en la radio. Y gracias por las ideas para reunir fondos.

-Gracias Maguis Ana Jose por vender tarjetas telefónicas y a todas los voluntarios que vendieron tarjetas telefónicas. Y gracias a las personas que compraron las tarjetas telfónicas e hicieron llamadas.

Thank you to all the people who left a message at Andy’s website.

-Gracias a todas las personas que dejaron un mensaje en la página de Andy.

-Gracias Don Alfredo Lupita por su apoyo. Y gracias Lupita por el discurso tan bonito durante el bautizo de Sofia.

-Gracias Papá por hablar acerca de Andy frente a cientos de personas. Gracias por el apoyo espiritual. Gracias por llorar conmigo. Y gracias por tu carta.

-Gracias Mamá (Descansa el Paz) por leer este blog y gracias por hablar sobre Andy en el radio. Gracias por ser tan positiva.

– Thank you Kate for helping me write the book. 
– Thank you Sofia for donating your cells. 
Happiness is meant to be shared!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.