Khaliah-Shay Kaulana Rapozo, the Wailua Houselots 11-year-old who recently underwent an umbilical cord blood transplant in her fight against leukemia, this week entered her second week of post-transplant care on the Mainland. And even though the various medications, treatments and
Khaliah-Shay Kaulana Rapozo, the Wailua Houselots 11-year-old who recently underwent an umbilical cord blood transplant in her fight against leukemia, this week entered her second week of post-transplant care on the Mainland.
And even though the various medications, treatments and procedures are giving her side effects ranging from nausea to ravenous appetite, she is taking things in her usual, happy-go-lucky style.
Thursday made nine days post-transplant, according to information from her mother, Valerie Gallardo.
“She’s doing fine, and this is just a waiting game for us until the new cord blood transplant produces on its own,” Gallardo reported. “It could take up to a month or even longer before the doctors can see any type of activity of engraftment,” or the new blood producing healthy new cells on its own.
On the day of transplant children receive a bunch of mylar balloons. The staff sings “Happy Transplant Day,” and they present patients with banners reading the same.
“That brought a smile to her face, with a lot going on that day,” Gallardo said. “They (also) say ‘Happy Birthday Khaliah-Shay,’ being that it’s the start of a new life with the new blood she received.”
With an umbilical cord blood transplant, engraftment takes longer than it does after bone-marrow transplant. This is because the cells from the placenta and umbilical cord are small, frozen and preserved, and need longer amounts of time to mature, explained Gallardo, who has become something of an expert in leukemia treatment as Khaliah’s primary caregiver for the eight years in her young life that she has battled leukemia.
Coming from an adult donor, bone marrow cells are mature and taken fresh from a human just prior to transplant.
Gallardo and Khaliah’s father, Curtis Rapozo, have been learning much about various procedure options available to their daughter and only child.
“The transplant is infused through the catheter from the chest exactly like a blood transfusion. Being that the cord blood is preserved, when being infused the patient becomes very sick and nauseated,” Gallardo continued.
Khaliah is on daily IV (intravenous) fluids, nutrition, and antibiotics to prevent her from getting a wide spectrum of viruses, bacteria, and fungus. She receives shots to help stimulate the growth of the cells, and others to help prevent rejection of the transplant, and also receives frequent blood transfusions in addition to the receipt of the umbilical-cord blood.
Steroids she receives increase her food cravings, so Khaliah always looks forward to the snack cart making its rounds to her room two to three times a day, Gallardo said.
When Khaliah feels up to it, she does step aerobics and other exercises with the physical therapist. She also does crafts and plays games with hospital volunteers.
During quiet times, she writes letters to her classmates, friends and family on Kaua’i.
Thousands of miles apart but with a shared vision, fund-raising efforts continue.
The Buza family, originally from Kekaha, owns and operates the Kauai Family Restaurant near Seattle, not far from where Khaliah is hospitalized and her family is staying. They have placed a donation can at the restaurant cashier counter, soliciting donations Khaliah’s family will use to defray expenses not covered by the family’s medical insurance.
One of The Garden Island newspaper articles is attached to the can to let patrons know why they’re being asked to donate.
Khaliah’s fellow fifth-graders at King Kaumuali’i Elementary School in Hanama’ulu are hosting a spaghetti-dinner fund-raiser at the school cafeteria Wednesday, April 24.
Her grandmother, Fay Rapozo, is selling raffle tickets. For a $2.50 donation per ticket, people qualify for prizes including a whole pig and two halves of a cow. Winners will be announced on Pat Victorino’s afternoon country-music show on KONG Radio Group’s KSRF, 95.9 FM, on Saturday, May 25.
For more information on that fund-raiser, please call 822-1629.
Though the transplant is over, the long road to recovery is just beginning.
After Khaliah is released from Children’s Hospital, she needs to be monitored closely by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center team at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance facility for an additional 100 days, Gallardo continued.
Once they feel she is able to return to Kaua’i, she will then be routinely seen by pediatric oncologists at Kapi’olani Hospital on O’ahu. She will then be scheduled to return to Seattle around a year from now for an annual checkup.
“That is approximately four to six months here all together. We’ve been here about five or six weeks already,” Gallardo said.
Sending aloha to her from Kaua’i has been her fifth-grade class, which has mailed her letters and a banner that says “Helping Hands for Khaliah.” She put it up in her room.
The classmates hand-painted the banner, and put their photographs on it. It made Khaliah homesick, her mother said. She said she wished she could be home for the spaghetti fund-raiser, and knows how much fun it will be, but realizes her presence is impossible.
But she’ll be there in spirit.
