Time for Another Update

Time has passed since our last update, and it feels like the right moment to share where things stand — both medically for Eliana and for our family as we continue navigating this road.

First, the encouraging news: Eliana has continued to hold steady. Stability in this world is never something we take for granted. It doesn’t mean the journey is over, but it does mean we have been given something incredibly valuable — time.

And right now, we are using that time to prepare for what could be the next major step in her treatment.

Eliana’s dad, PJ, is currently undergoing evaluation to become both a stem cell donor and kidney donor through Stanford’s DISOT clinical trial. This trial offers the possibility of a kidney transplant that may not require lifelong anti-rejection medications — something that could dramatically change Eliana’s future.

The process to even qualify for this trial is long and layered. Donor evaluation alone takes time, and only one person can move through the process at a time.

The good news is that the first several steps of PJ’s evaluation are now behind us. Blood work and initial screenings have been completed, and things have moved forward enough that the next step will be a trip to California. PJ will travel to Stanford to meet the transplant team and undergo the final phase of donor evaluation in person.

Only after PJ completes that evaluation will Stanford begin their full evaluation of Eliana for the trial.

If everything aligns — PJ’s evaluation, Eliana’s evaluation, and the timing of the clinical trial itself — the earliest the process could begin would be late July. But we’ve been told clearly that this timeline is a moving target. There are many steps, many approvals, and many factors that all have to line up.

So for now, we wait, prepare, and keep moving forward one step at a time.

While the medical side of this journey is complex, the family side carries its own set of questions and emotions. If this path continues forward, it could mean spending extended time in California while Eliana undergoes the stem cell transplant process and, later, the kidney transplant itself.

That raises real-life considerations that many families facing medical journeys will recognize:

What happens with Parker and school?

How do we balance work and being present for both of our kids?

How do we temporarily rebuild daily life in a different place while still keeping our family grounded?

And there are practical questions we’re beginning to wrestle with as well. Could our whole family be together in California during this time? The cost of living near Stanford is nearly four times what we’re used to here. At the same time, this season would likely mean reduced work as we focus on Eliana’s care — while still needing to maintain employment to keep the insurance that makes her treatment possible.

One thing we know for certain is that we don’t want our family separated across opposite ends of the country during such an important time in Eliana’s life. So part of this journey right now is simply trying to understand what it would take to make that possible.

These are the questions we’re slowly working through behind the scenes. There isn’t a perfect roadmap — just a lot of prayer, planning, and conversations as we prepare for possibilities that still aren’t certain.

Through all of this, we remain incredibly grateful for the time we’ve been given and for the people walking alongside us.

We are also deeply grateful for the incredible support so many of you showed during Eliana’s first transplant journey. Your generosity helped carry our family through a very difficult season, and we will never forget that kindness.

As we look ahead to the possibility of another transplant and time spent near Stanford, we know there may be new challenges and needs along the way. For now, we simply want to say thank you for continuing to walk this road with us.

Your prayers, encouragement, and messages continue to mean more than we can put into words. They remind us that even in seasons of uncertainty, we are not walking this road alone.

For now, we keep pressing forward — step by step — trusting that the path ahead will become clear as we go.

Thank you for continuing to follow Eliana’s journey and for keeping our family in your thoughts and prayers.