Page 236 - The Exceptional Harley Fetterman

JUDY K JOHNSON

In March of 2016, Harley checked into Houston Medical Center to
prepare for his BMT. He brought along his guitar and often spent time
strumming favorite songs during the days ahead to support himself
and his parents with music especially “The House of the Rising Sun.”

Over the next two weeks, Harley was given antibiotics,
chemotherapy, and other support medications such as anti-nausea, and
antigens that helped minimize host vs. graph disease. Without finding
any other qualified bone marrow host donor, Beth had been chosen as
donor of blood stem cells which would be processed and then given
Harley as a Haploid transplant through transfusion on March 18,
2016, a day proclaimed as Harley's Rebirthday! A day earlier, Beth
had flown back to Austin to stand in for Harley at St. Baldrick's
fundraiser, offering herself up for the annual head-shaving ritual that
Harley was unable to attend himself. Kevin stayed with Harley in
Houston but they stilled shaved their heads in family solidarity.

Figure 196: Beth and her grandnephew,
Wyatt, shave their heads for St. Baldrick's
fundraiser. Beth holds up photo of Kevin
and Harley back in Houston who also
had shaved for this fundraiser.

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