KESJ: 4 August 2010

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

4 August 2010

T+323

Today is Green Day at school - all children were asked to wear green for the International Year of Biodiversity, and to bring a gold coin so that the school can purchase native trees to plant in its new gardens. Jeremy wore a green T-shirt and a green cap - but Stephanie looked noticeably PINK as we walked into the school grounds! The only green clothing that we were able to find in her wardrobe was a Dora top with pink and green stripes (which she wore with a pink skivvy, pink jeans, pink vest and a pink cap!).

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Definitions

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) - a rapidly progressing cancer of the blood and bone marrow. ALL affects the type of developing white blood cells known as lymphocytes. It is the most common form of childhood leukaemia, and the most common type of childhood cancer. It also occurs in adults.

Blast cells - immature blood cells normally found in the bone marrow. Blast cells normally constitute up to 5% of all bone marrow cells. These cells divide and replenish all the normal blood cells in the marrow and circulating blood. Acute leukaemia is characterised by an accumulation of abnormal blast cells that take over the marrow and spill out into the blood stream.

Bone marrow transplant - the process of replacing bone marrow cells (stem cells) that are unhealthy, with stem cells that are healthy. The healthy stem cells are re-infused intravenously through the central line, after very strong chemotherapy and/or radiation to kill unhealthy stem cells. The re-infusion of healthy stem cells essentially rescues the patient from the chemotherapy and/or radiation, by enabling his or her bone marrow to start producing new blood cells.