"TEAM THEOFANIS"

Clippers were buzzing, scissors were styling, and lemonade was flowing!  The Great Shave Off Was A Success!

From 10 am until past 2 pm on Saturday, a steady flow of friends, teammates, family, neighbors and supporters came by the Yianas home to show their support of Theo's fight against Neuroblastoma.  About 200 people stopped by to try Theo's lemonade and to support the "Great Shave Off"!  It was a beautiful, sunny day and Theo, Demetra, and Sophia were super excited to see everyone! What made it even more special was that 40 people got their hair cut!  Some got their head shaved all the way to look like Theo, some got buzz cuts and nine girls cut their long hair which was donated to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths Program!  Kids played, laughed, ate hot dogs and sweets, cheered all those who who gave up their locks for Theo, and everyone celebrated with lemonade toasts!  People wore gold ribbons that symbolize the fight against childhood cancer, and Theo's orange wristbands sold out! And best of all, Theofanis', Demetra's and Sophia's smiles that shone throughout the day warmed and comforted their parents' hearts.

A reporter and photographer from The Chicago Tribune covered the day's events by taking photos and talking to supporters about Theo and his family. (Be sure to pick up a copy of Wednesday's Trib to read all about The Yianas' great day!

An infinite amount of thanks goes to Galinda and Jim Tunney for organizing the party and shaving  heads all day!  Also, To Teja and Pete Kics for all their help in planning the party, too.  Special thanks to Stacy Rokkas for cutting and styling hair for about three hours straight! 

And lots of hugs and kisses to the people who got their hair cut: 

Georggia, Taxiarchi, Pantelis, Anastasi, Val, Leo, Noah, Ben, Theio Jim, Theio Pete, Rowan, Demitri, Theio Kosta, Georgio, Anastasia, Katerina, Evangelos, Aixa, Jimmy, Mr. Brian, Eleni L., Paul, Isabella, Kosta, Dan, Mrs. Tina, Vasilli, Hunter, Constantino, Louis, James, Eleni P., Lincoln, Peter, Pano, Dean, Mrs. Toni, Pete, Paul, and Daddy.

PLUS....Thank you to Father Andrew and Mr. George who could not stop by the party, but who surprised the Yianas family (and the entire St. Demetrios parish) when they showed off their newly shaved heads at church on Sunday! Father sweetly explained to everyone that he's a member of "TEAM THEOFANIS!"

Hugs also go out to the Yianas' dear friends, George Scarlatis and Connor Scarlatis for buzzing their heads at home, too and sending them a photo of their father-son new look.

So, as their exciting weekend came to an end, the Yianas kids happily prepared for Vacation Church School 2011 which started on Monday morning.  They were excited about spending the week at church, seeing their friends, and being surrounded by hundreds of people spreading love and faith. Kosta and Eleni were a bit nervous about Theofanis being exposed to so many people and possible germs, but the great staff members of VCS have taken every extra precaution to protect Theofanis throughout each activity. Because he understood that he has to stay healthy, he was perfectly ok with wearing a surgical mask all day long, too.  And, what's made VCS even more special this year is seeing how all the kids are supporting Theo. You could overhear the kids reassuring eachother that "Theofanis is going to be ok."  Plus, there's news that "The Great Shave Off" has inspired more VCS students such as Sam Hanke and Andrew Petrulakis to join TEAM THEOFANIS. They buzzed their heads to support him and an end to all childhood cancers.

The Great Shave Off was such a success that an encore event has been requested. Keep an eye out for the next event towards the end of summer.  Demetra and Sophia are growing out their hair so it will be long enough to donate in a couple of months! 

THE SPOT

Theo returns to Comer Childrens Hospital on Thursday and Friday for his MIBG scan and CT scan that was previously postponed because of his neutropenic fever. These scans, along with the bone marrow biopsy (which he had last week) are important in determining how effective his treatment has been at killing off neuroblastoma cells. There needs to be evidence of a positive reduction of the cancer. The results should be finalized by the time he begins his third round of chemo on Friday afternoon.  Please pray with his parents that Theo's test results come back good. Starting on Friday, he will be admitted to the hospital for four days and will be getting drugs that he has not received before. This round of chemo will be difficult on him. Please pray with his parents that the side-effects of these chemo drugs are few and that his body is able to stay strong.

 

Theofanis is a fighter and likes to win, as we all know. And, it's important to celebrate the milestones in his treatment. Last week, he underwent a stem cell harvest procedure, where the doctors extracted blood and collected his stem cells for his upcoming transplant. This procedure required sedation to insert a catheter from which the blood is extracted and then re-circulated back into this body. Theofanis had to remain still during the harvest and displayed an incredible amount of bravery as he saw himself connected to this machine. The doctors scheduled two days of stem cell harvest so that they could gather enough stem cells for multiple transplants (if ever needed). Their goal was to harvest approximately 600 million stem cells over those two days. But, as the blood bank doctor and stem cell transplant nurse were reviewing his blood tests taken earlier that day, they commented that Theo had some of the highest blood counts (for stem cells) that they've ever seen. So, the next morning news came in that Theofanis was able to give enough stem cells in a single harvest for four transplants! So, the catheter was removed and Theo didn't need to do another harvest. Mom told him that he has "super duper stem cells!" Let's pray that they are extra super duper so when they're transplanted back, they regenerate into stronger, healthier-than-ever cells!

 

WITH FAITH, LOVE AND PRAYER HE WILL WIN!

 

During VCS, Theo's teachers, Mrs. Deme and Mrs. Demetra, asked Theo and his classmates to each write down something that they experienced that was difficult. Theo wrote "Going through cancer." That was the first time Theo openly wrote about his feelings about his illness. He hadn't written anything about the cancer in his journal at home which caused his parents to worry that he was keeping his feelings bottled up and to himself. At Vacation Church School where he's surrounded by faith, love and prayer, he documented his cancer.

 

Last week, a dear friend underwent a biopsy to remove lumps doctors found in her body. Today, they heard the wonderful news that the tumors are benign.  Eleni and Kosta included her in their prayers to God, Christ, the Virgin Mary, and all the Saints to whom they trustingly beg for Theo's cure. Extra thank yous will be said tonite for putting their arms around Gia and protecting her!

 

Prayers are powerful. God is almighty. God is good.

Psalm 34:1-3

I will extol the LORD at all times;

   his praise will always be on my lips.

My soul will boast in the LORD;

   let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

Glorify the LORD with me;

   let us exalt his name together.

THEOFANIS WANTS TO SERVE LEMONADE ON SATURDAY!

The Yianas' very, very dear family friends have planned the "Great Shave Off" event on Saturday, June 25th from 10 am - 2 pm to celebrate Theo's great new look. (Please be sure to read all the details about the event in the blog posting below.) Theofanis is very excited to have people come by our house, and he specifically asked to set up a lemonade stand! Mom and dad will prepare some hot dogs, and Deme and Sophia will make some treats, too!

Also, in efforts to raise awareness about Neuroblastoma, a reporter and photographer from The Chicago Tribunewill stop by during Saturday's "Great Shave Off." The Trib has a Health & Wellness series and would like to share Theofanis' story with Chicagoland readers.

So, boys, if you're ready for a summer buzz (or shorter) and want the same great haircut as Theo, come on by to Palatine!

And girls, if you've been growing your long locks to be able to donate it, come by for a fabulous new trim (with the trimmings being donated to Pantene's Beautiful Length's Program)!

Or, if you just want to see Theo turn sour lemons into sweet lemonade, we welcome you to come by, hang out, and say hi! 

We hope to see you Saturday! 

With all our love, 

The Yianas Family

BEST DAD EVER!

Theo, Deme and Sophia were excited about Father's Day for quite awhile. They were secretly creating cards and gifts for Daddy for several days prior to the big day. So, when Theofanis' temperature started creeping up last Thursday night, Eleni knew to pack Daddy's gifts in the hospital bag. Then, when the home nurse called on Friday with the news that Theo's white blood count was 0.04, the family sprang into action to get Theofanis to Comer Children's Hospital. Well, "sprang into action" wasn't necessarily what happened..."sprang into tears" paints a more accurate picture. Theofanis didn't want to go. He cried and shielded himself behind the couch. Demetra and Sophia began to cry as well. They understood that they would need to be separated again.  Just a few days earlier, the family visited The Wellness Place in Inverness that provides support and services to families battling cancer. The kids met Lori, who helped them start expressing their feelings through art. Each of them felt that this was a place they could go to deal with Theofanis' cancer...together. It was too soon for them to be split up again.

The news that he was neutropenic was more difficult on the Yianas family this time around, though the drill was becoming familiar. Theofanis was admitted to the hospital, was started on a broad spectrum antibiotic, and tested for a bacterial and viral infection. This time, though, Theofanis was coughing, congested and had a runny (and sore) nose. And this time, his fever spiked very high....for four days straight. He was placed in protective isolation, and even mom and dad had to wear masks all the time. (I bet not many people know that those surgical masks, when worn constantly, can really cut into the back of your ears.)

Mom and Dad were able to convince the doctors to let Theofanis' sisters visit him. They spent Saturday hanging out with him in his room, playing Monopoly and other games. Because he was in isolation, they couldn't go to the playroom and they couldn't even go for a walk around the floor. His sisters understood Theofanis' fever needed to go away, so they wore their masks obligingly, until they had to leave to go home for the evening. Kosta and Eleni stayed at the hospital on alternate nights, so Kosta spent the night at home to take care of the girls.

On Sunday morning, Theofanis called his Dad from his hospital room to wish him Happy Father's Day. It's a heartbreaking phone call for a father to get from his 6-year old son, who instead should be home, jumping in bed to wake him, giving him Father's Day kisses and hugs. It's unimaginable, actually, and, it's heartbreakingly this dad's reality. Kosta quickly gathered the girls, gathered the grandmas, gathered some food, and headed to the hospital to spend his day with his family. They ate, opened his "Best Dad Ever" cards and presents, set up a small nerf basketball net, continued their Monopoly game, and watched the nurses and doctors come in and out to check Theofanis' vitals and also give him another blood transfusion. Everyone knew that it was an unusual way to spend the day. They were supposed to attend the Baptism of their koumbaroi's son, Anthony, and then they were supposed to stop by the Saint Demetrios Festival. No one complained that the day wasn't supposed to be the way it had turned out.  However, everyone was sad. And, when sadness overtook all other emotions, the entire Yianas family broke down in tears. It was one of the hardest moments yet. And Kosta and Eleni had to find the strength to wipe away their childrens' tears and reassure them (and each other) that everything is going to be fine, that they'll all get through this together, that the cancer will go away, and that it's OK to cry and get upset. The cancer will go away.  IT MUST GO AWAY! That's the only Father's Day gift Kosta is begging for.

THE SPOT

Theofanis is Neutropenic. His White Blood Counts are zero, his Absolute Neutrophils are zero, his Platelets are low, his RBC is low, and his stem cell harvest has been pushed back a few days.  There was also a bit of confusion and miscommunication over the weekend amongst the residents regarding the hospital's documentation of the drug Neupogen Theofanis was required to take.  We were told to administer a "double dose" at home. The hospital's computers stated "single dose," so they administered a single dose on Saturday. Then, they gave him the "double dose" on Sunday when Kosta and Eleni insisted they were wrong. (Before I go on, let me reassure you that Theofanis was not in harm's way with either the single or double dosage of this drug. Neupogen helps white blood cells recover. The "double dose" was to boost their recovery for the stem cell harvest.) Eleni rummaged through their garbage at home to find the used syringe to confirm and prove that Theofanis was taking a "double dose" at home. So, needless to say, Kosta and Eleni demanded an explanation of why the documentation was incorrect, why there was confustion as to what drug was called in to the home health care service, and why no one on call over the weekend appeared to know what dosage Theofanis should be given.  Both Dr. Cohn (our chief Oncologist) and Dr. Cunningham (chief Stem Cell Transplant doctor) met with Eleni and Kosta on Monday morning specific to this, and everyone agreed that this confusion CANNOT happen ever again. Eleni and Kosta have decided to learn how to calculate drug dosing. They currently document everything, but now they're going to start calculating everything, too.

Theofanis' fever lasted four days, much longer than during his last neutropenic bout. His fever spiked much higher as well. But, on Monday, he was fever-free and his WBC showed a tiny sign of recovery. So, the Stem Cell Harvest has been rescheduled to Wednesday and Thursday. He'll also have another bone marrow biopsy on Wednesday as well. The other MIBG and CAT Scans need to be rescheduled, too.

WITH LOVE, FAITH AND PRAYER, HE WILL WIN!

Father Andrew came to the hospital on Saturday to visit Theofanis. He has been in the hospital for the past several Sundays, so Kosta and Eleni felt blessed that Father also gave him Holy Communion. And as people continue to call, send their love and prayers, and help with the girls, they're constantly reminded of how Theofanis is not alone in his fight. And as the family moves along through this journey, their prayers are not only growing, but their prayers are more specific...specific to his fevers going away, his blood counts recovering, staying clear of germs and infection, his chemo working, his transfusions uneventful, his test results coming back with positive news, no side-effects from the drugs, his drugs being accurate, his doctors and nurses being meticulous, and his cancer to totally disappear. Please, Lord, give Theofanis, Demetra, Sophia courage every day. And, please, protect them every day.

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all the joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let's Shave for Theo

After some back and forth and prayer, we have come to a plan for celebrating Theofanis' great new look. Next weekend at the Yianas household, we are going to have a GREAT SHAVE OFF! Come ready to show that bald is beautiful, just like Theofanis. We will have at least two chairs open for you to get rid of hairy weight and lighten up for summer. If you are a lady and not quite ready to commit to going bald, we understand. BUT, you might have long enough hair to donate it to Pantene's Beautiful Length's program. You can go to http://www.pantene.com/en-us/beautiful-lengths-cause/pages/default.aspx to get more information on that program. It would be wonderful to send them enough donated hair lift the spirits of another person going through the difficulties of losing their hair due to illness. We want to show that we love Theo and will be there to support him any way possible. We will start shaving on Saturday, June 25 at 10 AM until 2 PM. Please leave a comment to say how many in your group will be coming to get shaved and an approximate time so we can be prepared. Get all your friends, classmates and family to join the fun and show our support for our brave Theofanis!

COURAGE REVISITED

He's Through With Chemo Cycle #2!

Theofanis finished his second cycle of chemotherapy on Sunday, almost six weeks from the day he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma.  Starting on Wednesday, June 8th, he spent five days on the sixth floor of Comer Children's Hospital in Room 629.  For as many people he met in his first cycle of chemotherapy, he met almost as many this time around. He met a few new nurses (Vanessa, Laticia and Vicki) and had a couple of nurses from before (Abby and Frances). Dr. Cohn complimented Theo on how good he looks. She commented that he had good color in his lips. And, she told him he looked handsome with his new haircut! Everyone loved his new do!

Theofanis started out at the "SPA" (Special Procedures Area) where he was given a check up and the thumbs up that he was good to start his second round of chemo. Things were starting to feel a bit more familiar for Theofanis (and for Eleni and Kosta, too) and settling in for his chemo treatment was a little "easier" this time around. Theo's positive energy and outlook made things much easier to accept and process.  Mom and Dad continue to marvel at how patient and understanding Theofanis is throughout this entire uncomfortable, draining, and unwelcomed chemo treatment.

His energy level throughout the five days fluctuated, and it was easy to see that he was bored at times. He brought a lot of books from home to read. He and his sisters signed up for the Palatine Library's Summer Reading Program. He needs to read 1200 pages by the end of July. 1200 pages...not a problem for Theofanis! He read a little bit and spent some time on his second grade workbook, but it was clear that he didn't seem as excited to do much of anything. But, there were many moments where he perked up. He really enjoyed watching the Dallas Mavericks beat the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the Finals, especially since Miami eliminated our Bulls from the Playoffs. He also put together a mere 3+ Lego sets, played some "Body Parts" Bingo through a video feed from the playroom (and won), beat his Dad in Connect Four at a rate of four games to one (seriously, he did, and it was embarrassing for dad).  Mom inflated the latex hospital gloves into balloons, and Theofanis tried to pop them by sitting on them. He also had some video Face Time with Demetra, Sophia, Giagia Sofia & Giagia Agni at home. He also Face Timed with Thea Angie, Filia and baby Anthony, and made funny faces so that Filia could laugh.

His sisters were unable to visit him at the hospital during this round of chemo because Sophia had developed a bad cough and was taking antibiotics. Sophia had to get better before Theofanis came home, and we had to make sure that Demetra didn't catch what Sophia had. There was one night when all three Yianas kids were split up, and Theofanis commented that it was the first time that they all slept apart from eachother. Nobody really slept well that night.

THE SPOT

Theofanis' Second Round of Chemotherapy Treatment was administered every 20 hours.  It was as follows:

·         Chemo Day 1 @ 5:00 pm: Cytoxan and Topotecan.  1/2 hour infusion each. 

·         Chemo Day 2 @ 1:00 pm:  Cytoxan and Topotecan.  1/2 hour infusion each. 

·         Chemo Day 3 @ 9:00 am:  Cytoxan and Topotecan.  1/2 hour infusion each. 

·         Chemo Day 4 @ 5:00 am:  Cytoxan and Topotecan.  1/2 hour infusion each. 

·         Chemo Day 5 @ 1:00 am:  Cytoxan and Topotecan.  1/2 hour infusion each.

All infusions were under the watchful eye of Mom and Dad, or at least one of them, including Day 4 and 5 which were in the middle of the night. No sleep for Mommy on Day 4 or Daddy on Day 5.

Although Theo is doing well, it is not without side effects. The medicine made him more nauseated this time around and he did vomit, sometimes more than once per day despite the anti-nausea medication he was given. Further, it was a challenge for him to eat relative to his habits at home. He had to be prodded to eat what otherwise would be wolfed down in a matter of minutes. He really dislikes the hospital food and claims it smells and tastes bad. The chemo is making him much more sensitive to smells and it's definitely affecting his taste buds. So, mom and dad brought bags of food from home. He ate only a few bites of food at each meal, and often didn't even keep that down. The doctors increased the frequency of the Zofran, the anti-nausea medicine, from every 8 hours to every 6.

Theofanis' blood counts are dropping faster during this round of chemo. His hemoglobin level was low enough on Saturday morning to warrant a blood transfusion. He spent the afternoon in bed, and he and his parents watched the donor blood slowly enter his body through his central line over a 3 hour period.  Theofanis' blood type is A-Positive. "It's an A+," his parents told him! Theofanis responded very well to his first blood transfusion. His hemoglobin counts went up on Sunday. But, as expected, his WBC continued to drop. It was down to 1.8 on day 5. The doctors told us it will drop to zero.

Theofanis was discharged from the hospital on Sunday morning and was able to be home before noon.  When he left the hospital, he commented on the weather change. (It was 98 degrees when he was admitted and the temperature had dropped down into the 50's while he was there.) To say that he was thrilled to see his sisters is an understatement. He also was happy to sit down with the family to eat lunch. He even got to stop by his cousin Peter's birthday party in the afternoon where he played soccer and baseball with the other kids.

WITH LOVE AND PRAYER HE WILL WIN

The next couple of weeks will be very busy for Theofanis as he will be back to Comer Children's Hospital. On Monday, June 20th, Theofanis will undergo a stem cell harvest procedure.  He will spend a night in the hospital during which, over a period of two days, his own stem cells will be extracted and harvested from his blood and then stored for his upcoming stem cell transplant that will take place in a few months.

After the stem cell harvest, Theofanis will also repeat scans that will evaluate how well the neuroblastoma cells in his body are responding to the chemotherapy. He will have a CT scan, an MIBG scan, and another Bone Marrow Biopsy.  

Our prayers are that: (1) the CT scan will show that the primary tumor is shrinking;  (2) the MIBG scan will not detect any active neuroblastoma cells in his body besides the known cancer tumor in his left ulna (elbow) AND that the elbow does "not light up" or "lights up less" than the first scan done during his initial diagnosis; and (3) the bone marrow will continue to be negative for neuroblastoma.  We prayerfully need these tests to show that the chemotherapy is working.

Every day, the Yianas family thanks God for all the support and love that has come to them by family, friends, co-workers and their community. They also feel very blessed to have so many people come to visit and support Theofanis. Thank you to Thea Georgia, Theo Dave and cousins Sophia and Anna for visiting.  Also, Thea Alexandra, Thea Irini, Thea Dena and Thea Nickie also came to say hello. Thanks also to those who called asking to come by, and thanks for understanding that we needed to wait until next time.

And thanks to all who have been helping our family at home. To our grandmothers, their constant help is invaluable. To the Scarlatis family who graciously opened their home to Demetra (and to Sophia, too, if she didn't get sick) and who dropped off food for Eleni and Kosta, we thank you so much. And to all of you who lend an ear when we call to talk or cry, we thank you for listening and for your encouragement.

Everyone's prayers and good thoughts are what are sustaining Theofanis and his family through this difficult time. Thank you to all for reaching out to us and supporting our family and our little boy. Please continue your strong prayers to God as we know he hears us and will cure Theofanis!


Philippians 4:12-13
"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want, I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

THE BUZZ

On Saturday, June 4th, one month to the day we found out that Theofanis was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, he began to lose his hair. Fifteen days and four hours after his first infusion of chemo, his hair quietly fell into our hands as we ran our fingers along his scalp. "My hair is falling out," he said as he wiped away the tiny hairs that fell over his eyes and onto his nose. We told him it was happening because of the chemo. He understood.  He told us he didn't want to be bald as he scratched his scalp and saw more hair fall onto his pillow. We told him that the chemo may cause him to go bald temporarily, and we reminded him that his hair grows very fast. We told him we would go get a buzz cut the next day. He agreed to the haircut. We said our prayers together and he fell asleep. He fell asleep accepting of what was happening to his body. Our son is the most courageous boy in the world!

We gathered his fallen hair, placed it in a small zipper baggie, and dated it 6/4/11.

The next day, when Theofanis woke up, he looked at his pillow covered with hair, and as-a-matter-of-factly called out to his sister, "Hey, Demetra, my hair is falling out!" They looked at it, and talked about how kids who have cancer go bald. They talked about how they saw other kids at the hospital with short hair, no hair and patches of hair. Soon after, Sophia joined them, noticed the hair on the bed, and like her two siblings did not appear to be phased by what she saw. We gathered the loose hair with a sticky lint roller and got ready for church. Theofanis was serving the altar, and he did not want to be late!

Hair was falling softly and resting on his shoulders and face throughout the morning and early afternoon. He would quietly wipe them away.

After church, we went to his cousin's birthday party. Full of energy, he sprinted around the party room.  When he ran his hands through his sweaty scalp, they emerged filled with hair.  So, he yelled out to his cousins, "Hey guys, my hair is falling out!" and waited for an "it's so cool" reaction. 

We made an appointment for all three Yianas kids to get haircuts at Kidsnips later that afternoon. Deme went first, and got about an inch taken off and layers added in.  Then, Sophia had her ends cleaned up. Both girls opted for glitter, too. Then, it was Theofanis' turn.  The hair dresser started with #2 clippers, but because Theofanis' hair is so thick, she took it down to #1. She started along the back and side, and then asked Theo if he wanted a mohawk. As she left a crazy patch through the middle of his head, the kids smilled at the silliness of it. As the clippers moved along his head, our terrific hairdresser caught each lock into her hands and placed it into a baggie for us. She understood how important it was to us to hold on to every small strand of our son's hair.

Theofanis smiled in the mirror and rubbed his head back and forth to check out his new buzz cut.  He told us he didn't like it. He kept smiling, though. He said he looked like Carlos Boozer. We told him he looks great!

He is a beautiful kid, inside and out!

Theofanis spent the rest of the day getting used to his haircut. He wore a baseball cap when he played basketball outside.  He noticed that when he rubs his head forward, his buzzed hair feels soft, and when he rubs it from front to back, it feels rough. He asked us to feel his head, too.  He was right.

His buzzed head is soft as silk, especially when you kiss it!

THE SPOT

Our home nurse Joanna is coming tomorrow morning to draw a new set of labs. We expect them to come back looking very good. His white blood count was on the rise on Friday, and he's been full of energy this entire weekend. So, we're planning on going back to Comers on Wednesday for round #2 of Chemotherapy. Once again, he'll be admitted to the hospital for five days of chemo.

After this round of chemo, the doctors will run tests and scans to validate that the chemo is working and killing the neuroblastoma cells that are in Theofanis' body. It is imperative that these test results show that the chemo is shrinking his tumor. We are praying that the chemo is working and we are praying that Theofanis will be able to get through this next round of chemo without pain, discomfort and complications.

WITH LOVE, FAITH AND PRAYER, HE WILL WIN!

Friday was the last day of school and also the end of the year program. Theofanis, Demetra and Sophia all had a great time spending the last day of the school year with their friends. There were a ton of photos taken with kids from Theofanis' First Grade class and the girls from his original Kindergarten class, including, but not limited to Vanessa, Elena, Litsa, Olga, Gia, Eleni, Katerina, and Alexa. (Someone has to email us the photo where Theofanis was wearing the fedora and the girls were posing around him!). Our cousins Sofia and Anna came to the program, too!

Friday was also Kosta's birthday. We celebrated that evening with dinner and birthday cake, like we always do as a family. The kids made daddy some great cards, and Eleni apologized throughout the day for forgetting in the morning to acknowledge her husband's birthday until she was reminded to (by him)! 

On Saturday, we watched our little Sophia perform in her very first Ballet Recital. She wore a cute pink and green flower costume and danced to "The Little Mermaid" song. She was adorable and we were all very, very proud of her!

And, as mentioned, on Sunday we went to church and then to a family birthday party. The weekend wound down with Kosta's uncle Chris who drove up from Decatur to visit and have dinner and ice cream with us.

This weekend, Theofanis and our family was surrounded by a lot of love and many, many strong wishes and prayers by our friends, our community, our neighbors and our family. Everyone's support means the world to us and gives us strength.  We constantly pray to God to give us strength each moment of each day to battle our son's cancer, to protect all our three children, and to not let our tears overtake our emotions. 

P.S.

Hello All,

I am a friend of Theofanis and have been helping Eleni and Dean manage this blog. As I have sent confirmation to them for each posting, I have included some scripture from the Bible to give them some Godly hope and encouragement. I figured we could all use some hope and encouragement, so I will add the scripture to the blog.

I am in process of planning a hair shaving/cutting party so we can stand united for Theo. Please check back within the next day or two to get information. Let's see how many of us are willing to go to a #1:) My sister, who is a hairdresser, will also be available for those of us who would like to cut our tresses for Locks for Love.

Hugs,
Galinda Tunney

Ephesians 4:1-3

"...I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."

Let us all be united in the Spirit for Theofanis.

"Oh, Tooth Fairy!"

UP AND OUT!

His counts are up and his tooth is out! Yes, Theofanis is home, his white blood counts are moving up in the right direction, and he lost his very first tooth today!!!!

Today is a thumbs up day! It's the last day of school and Theofanis was able to finish the school year with his sisters and classmates. And, he's able to go to his end of school year program. He's happy and we're all very happy today. :)

So, let's focus on that tooth. It's been loose for about a week now. He was very nervous about  pulling it out. He refused to let anyone near his mouth. Until last night when it was teetering back and forth. We had the video cam ready, but he freaked out on us and refused to let us pull it out. "You'll swallow it," we warned. Theofanis can be stubborn, too. Well, this morning, his toothbrush accomplished what none of us could. It got the tooth out! He was rather excited when all was said and done.

THE SPOT

Blood counts are up and that's all that matters today!!!!!

WITH LOVE, PRAYER AND FAITH HE WILL WIN

We'd like to thank EVERYONE who prayed for Theofanis's blood counts to improve quickly. After two fever scares and multiple calls to Comers, our prayers are being heard and answered. Keep those prayers coming. They are definitely being heard for our little boy!