Joy: Ari returned to India on September 30^th! He is late in returning for the necessary follow up treatment, and so grateful to be able to go. He will spend his 26^th birthday there… and the celebration of the birth of new stem cells…

With a continuing and progressive illness that Lyme and co-infections can be, repeat treatment necessary to out run the disease process. Ari has experienced some return of symptoms, though not to the depths of where he was before. That said, he expects to close the gap back to his highest level of functioning with the next transplant, and to retain the progress. It is uncertain if this will be his final transplant or whether or not he will need any additional treatment.

In the interim between treatments, he was able to attend one college course per quarter and received one of 12 annual awards for exceptional students in the Science and Math Department… his second one!  And nothing to do with his illness or “disabled status” but his student status!!! He has continued to garden as therapy… fruit trees, bonsai, a bit of everything… and he has taken up photography recently.

This trip to India he will sorely miss his travel companion, Sheila, and travel alone. His improved health allows this! While he would very much like a loved one to be with him, he is mindful of keeping the cost down. Clint, his dear nurse, brother, in India, will be with him through his stay, and a patient he met last time, will also be there for follow up treatment. He has other friends there, Pawan, a PhD student he met at the University of Delhi. He hopes to take lots of pictures, welcome and nurture the stem cells,  and return renewed and improving.

Ari, Wayne and Michael at Airport : Departure for India 9/30/13

Kate and Ari at SFO 9.30.13