As you all know by now receiving a transplant is not a cure but a journey. This is why continued efforts for COTA for Valen Strong are so appreciated and so important. Today, 2 years post transplant Valen tested positive for EBV (Epstein-Barr virus) due to his amazing donor previously carrying it. This is a common virus that for healthy people is rarely a concern, however, for a transplant patient it can lead to a serious problem called post transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD). Valen will continued to be monitored via labs to check these virus levels, and depending on symptoms may need medical intervention. This also means that this will be chronic for him, seeing as it will lay dormant in his system and can awaken when his immune system is low which is ongoing since he is immunocompromised. This is just another bump in the road for Valen & his family showing how a transplant is not a solution but a new chapter.