Today is a beautiful spring day. I cannot say enough about how much more "spring" I have in my step. I love just breathing in the warm sunshine. Janni has given me some information today on Kole. I thought I would pass it on to you. Kole has actually been in the hospital since Friday at 11:00 p.m. until today (Monday). I just talked to her and it is about 6:16 p.m. She is waiting to be released. Kole could have gone home earlier, but needed to wait for a platelet transplant. This is his second one since he started chemo. The best news is that Kole's counts are back up. I heard Janni tell Kole that today he could have grapes because of that fact. Janni said she is very busy when Kole's counts (white blood counts) are down to zero. She has to take alcohol wipes to door knobs and practically every surface around Kole. She has to wash her hands after touching anything and everything. Kole cannot eat many foods. He can only have fruit which can be peeled like bannas and oranges. If you have chips and stick your hand in the bag you contaminate the whole container of chips. Kole cannot have one chip out of a contaminated bag of chips. You have to pour out small amounts in bowls. Kole has to wash his hands continually. Janni especially has to wash her hands while preparing food. Janni is in training to become a "Merry Maid"(Ha!Ha!). She said that she invisioned this time at St. Jude to be more relaxing but the opposite has held true. So, if you have not heard from her, just know she is probably cleaning house, washing her hands, caring for Kole and family, etc. Her heart is with everyone of you and she cares deeply for all her friends and family. I can give you a little time table concerning Kole's white blood cell counts. Kole received his Chemo on March 24, 25, and 26. He than stayed in the hospital until Tuesday, March 28. Kole stayed at home in the Target House starting that Tuesday until his birthday evening which was April 7th. Koles counts were down to zero from the following Sunday, after being in the hospital for chemo, which would April 2nd to around Sunday, April 9th. So for around eight or nine days, Janni had to be a "Merry Maid" and a "Sterilizing Cook". However, three of those days Kole spent in the hospital (Friday night at 11:00 p.m. until today, Monday). They tested Kole's blood for illnesses such as diptheria and nothing showed up. That is a praise. Also, the reason why a temperature is so disheartening is also do to the fact St. Jude's doctors have a policy regarding hospitalization. If a patient with a zero count gets a fevor, they are hospitalized until their counts go back up. It does not matter if the temperature leaves them or if blood tests prove nothing . As a precaution, the patient has to stay. Janni knows of a patient who had a slight temperature and had to stay 14 days in the hospital until her counts went up. She was fine the entire time. It is when kids and parents feel couped up in the hospital for long periods which seems to be the difficulty. Anyway, the Target House is beautiful and spacious. Every apartment has a child of course. So, there are loads of kids for Kole to play with. Janni said it is almost like a continual party or sleepover at this Target house. There are places for the teens to hang out such as game rooms and places for the younger kids as well. There is more space in the apartments for families to have some privacy. There is also the convenience of making meals in their own home. This was not true for the Ronald McDonald House. Though the McDonald House did have game rooms, loads of fellowship, and friends to hang out with. I talked to Kole. He said "hello Aunt Jodi" in his sunshiny voice. He drew me in and made me feel so loved just by the tone of his voice, like always. He keeps getting more loving all the time. He was watching Cyber Chase. He spoke like a little boy who was very content and well taken care of.

I am getting ready to teach about the Ten Commandments. In our Bible Study's last lesson we learned that if you broke one commandment, it is breaking them all to God. Today, when Janni was talking to me about the chips, the message hit home. Just one dirty hand in a bag of chips contaminated the whole bag. The bag of chips now was infultraited by germs. To God one sin contaminates us in the same way. There is only one way to fight off the disease of sin and that is with the blood of Jesus. Lately, Koles treatment has been centered around his blood. In the same way our treatment for sin is centered around blood. It is the cleansing blood of Jesus. The Bible says that the payment for sin is death. The shedding of blood represents death. If it were not for Jesus, we really would have to shedd our blood and die for our own sins. However, blood also represents life when it is used as a cleanser. The white blood cells in our body cleanses our bodies of viruses, bacteria, and the like. The blood of Jesus cleanses our sins so that we do not have to die. I marvel at the story in John chapter 8. There is this woman caught in adultery. There is a Jewish law that says if a woman is caught in adultery she has to be put to death by stoning. The payment for sin is death as the Bible says. However, the pharisees who were getting ready to stone the woman were not perfect themselves and deserved death. Jesus told them in John 8:7 "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her". Of course all the pharisees left. They knew they were not without sin. Jesus however did not leave. Why? He was without sin. He had every right to stone this woman to death for her sin. Instead of taking her life, He gave His. He, though he was completely innocent and without sin, gave His life, for this sinful woman, on the cross. Wow, the love of God. Wow, the "Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world"(John 1:29). Jesus is our Lamb. The shedd blood of the Lamb is for us (the contaminated). Amazing! Jesus died for us so that we did not have to, though some choose to. Have a happy Easter and remember Jesus beat sin and death when He rose from the dead.

Jodi