Amber Sims (top photo, left) gives her brother Travis a hug during a hospital visit in September. Courtesy Photo.

Local teenager Travis Sims got good news in his battle with leukemia last month, when he received word that doctors had found umbilical cord matches that will allow him to have a stem cell transplant.

“It’s great news for us,” his mother Nyana Sims said.

The Telegram last wrote about Travis on Oct. 7, one month after doctors discovered that his leukemia had returned after having been in remission for three weeks. Travis was first diagnosed with leukemia in May 2006.

Nyana said that they are thrilled the match was found so quickly because Travis faced several obstacles in finding a donor. First, because of his size, Travis needed two matching umbilical cords to allow doctors to go through with a transplant. He was also hampered in his search for stem cells because he has a rare antigen makeup. Each person has 10 different antigens that need to be matched for a transplant to take place. Doctors try to match as many of the possible antigens and won’t go below seven matches.

“His rare antigen type was a big part of the reason why none of us (his family members) were a good match for him for a transplant,” Nyana said.

From here, Travis needs to wait until his white blood cell count and immune system strength improves from his last round of chemotherapy, which ended last weekend.

Doctors have given a Jan. 4 date to begin the transplant. On that date, Travis will be given an intensive chemotherapy and radiation treatment, which will kill all of his remaining bone marrow. Travis will then be given the stem cells through a transfusion on Jan 11. If the transplant is successful, the stem cells will migrate into the patient’s bone marrow and begin producing new, healthy leukocytes to replace the cancerous cells.

Even after the transplant, Nyana said Travis will have a long recovery ahead of him.

“Best case he will be in the hospital at least 30 days,” she said. “Worst case at least 90 days.”

After being released from the hospital, he will likely have to spend more time in Denver under doctors’ observation.

Travis got a diversion in his fight against cancer Nov. 9 when he received a pair of donated tickets to watch the Denver Broncos play the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“It was a good game, even though we lost. We will just be that much stronger the next game,” Travis wrote on his CarePages account after attending the game.

Travis and his family are currently living in Brent’s House in Denver. Brent’s House is a facility for patients undergoing bone marrow treatments and their families. It was through Brent’s House that Travis received the donated football tickets.

Travis is hoping to be able to return to Torrington this weekend to spend time with family and friends. Nyana said that returning to Torrington is one of the best things for Travis.

“Anytime that he can spend time at home always helps. He hates Denver and he gets upset at us when they make him stay there to be near his doctors,” she said. “He has been really good with keeping his spirits up though. He has great friends who keep him busy and energized when he gets home and tons of people who care about him.”

Travis has a CarePages account where he gives frequent updates about his condition and treatments. Donations to the Children’s Hospital Foundation can also be made through the site. Travis’s CarePages site can be accessed at https://www.carepages.com/carepages/TravisKicksButt



For the complete article see the 12-11-2009 issue.

Click here to purchase an electronic version of the 12-11-2009 paper.

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