This is Stella's life day. This is the day my daughter Stella received stem cell transplant after chemotherapy to treat her rare disease called SCID (severe combined immuno-deficiency). 

​In SCID community, this day is known as "Life Day" because this is like the day they are born again. Usually stem cells here means hematopoietic stem cells (stem cells made in bone marrow) and they are responsible for making all the blood cells: red blood cell, white blood cell, and platelets. After transplant, all blood cells in recipient's body is replaced with donor's blood. This is because all the original blood and stem cells were destroyed with chemotherapy and the donor's new stem cells took its place and develops into blood cells. 

Stem cell transplant (bone marrow transplant) is a serious procedure because all the blood cells and stem cells in Stella's body have to be obliterated first to receive the transplant. This is done through chemotherapy. Chemotherapy in this case meant multiple infusions of very strong drugs into her body throughout multiple days. After infusions, the blood cells started disappear. After chemotherapy session which lasted almost 2 weeks, it was Life Day (December 20th of 2024). Stella received Victoria's stem cells on this day. If you look at the first picture, you can see Stella receiving stem cell from the stem cell that is in the blood bag above. If you want to learn why Stella received stem cell from Victoria (which is 50% match), go to Donating Stem Cells page. 

Everyday her blood was sampled and doctors monitored her blood cell numbers. She receives multiple red blood and platelet transfusions just to make sure there is enough to keep her alive. As Stella's original blood cells and stem cells are depleted, Victoria's stem cells start to take its place in Stella's bone marrow (where blood stem cells live). After weeks of seeing her blood cell count decline, we started to see the number coming up! This meant that engraftment (Victoria's stem cell settling in Stella's body) has started. After a few more weeks again, Stella's blood cell count came up enough so that we can go home. After 6 weeks in the hospital, we were finally went back home. 

Despite all the challenges she's been through in the short one year of life, Stella is a healthy baby today. She is now 14 months old (as of December of 2025) and is always busy either singing (yapping), dancing, or otherwise bothering mom and dad by "helping" anything that they are doing. She now "helps" me fold laundry by unfolding every other cloth I fold. She is very happy baby and she brings joy to our family. 

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So this is why December 20th is a special day for our family. It is the day she was born again. It is her life day. Thank you for celebrating it with us.