Toby is back in the hospital.

He arrived to the clinic today and was immediately given i.v. fluids, as well as blood and platelet transfusions.

This weekend Toby was couch-bound; the energetic, playful, and active Toby of last week succumbed to the reality of chemotherapy. Toby's inbetween the second and third cycles of chemotherapy and his bone marrow is pretty wiped out. This means that he has very few white blood cells to fight off infections, hemoglobin to carry oxygen to the body (and a prime source of energy), and platelets which clot the blood and prevent bleeding.

Toby's skin is covered in crops of purple and black bruises (as a result of too few platelets) and rather than exert himself like a normal four year-old, he preferred to remain motionless on the couch (not enough hemoglobin).

Toby needs for as many of you as possible to donate blood and platelets, not only before his surgery (scheduled sometime after the third round of chemo), but now too. If you're able to please try to get over to Sloan and donate.

Thanks,

Yoram