Aedan, 4, fights against leukemia

Aedan Gregory Sablan Duldalao, 4, has virtually been fighting his whole life against leukemia. October 2008 was supposed to be the end of his agonizing chemotherapy treatment, but the leukemia has relapsed and is even more aggressive.

A bone-marrow (stem-cells or cord blood) transplant is now a must for the young Aedan at the University of Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona by next week. He has been in the hospital in Henderson, Nevada since Oct. 6, 2008. He needs more prayers and his parents—Audrey Jo Sablan and Mario Duldalao—need financial support for the extensive medical costs.

Upon learning about Aedan’s story, the fundraising organized at the Pacific Islands Club on Saipan Saturday night received an outpouring of support from family members, friends, community members, and businesses.

Due to the overwhelming support, the organizers had to move the cocktail supposedly at PIC’s Seaside to the beachside to accommodate more people.

“We were thinking 40, 50 people at the most. We’re going to hold it upstairs at Seaside. That was our intent at first,” according to one of the fundraising organizers, Angela Yamashita Santos.

Santos, who is an aunt of Aedan, told Saipan Tribune during the event that people were calling them saying they want to buy tickets, they want to help, and they want to donate.

“It’s just kind of blow up to our delight of course and it just became a very large function,” said Santos as she estimated about 160 people came with each purchased a $50 ticket.

“This is when you really know that Saipan is such…the community is very strong, the sense of community, the sense of family. So we are just to thankful to everybody, really,” Santos said.

Audrey Jo Sablan, a native of Saipan, met her Filipino-Hawaiian husband, Mario Duldalao, in Las Vegas. They have two sons—Aedan and the 1-year-old Kallan.

Aedan was only 18 months old in 2005 when he was diagnosed with high-risk Acute Lumphoblastic Leukemia, which is cancer of the blood forming tissues known as the bone marrow.

Aedan endured three and a half years of chemotheraphy. He survived a near fatal pneumonia virus. The chemotheraphy treatment was supposed to end last October, but instead the leukemia has relapsed and this time, the cancer was also found in his spinal fluid which surrounds the brain.

Doctors started intense chemotheraphy immediately, but they discovered that the bone marrow was not recovering as it was resisting the treatment.

Doctors determined that the combination is extremely toxic to all organs of the body to which a child can only endure up to five rounds so a bone-marrow transplant is vital for Aedan’s survival.

The Duldalao couple and their youngest son, Kallan, had their blood drawn to see if they could be a donor match. Unfortunately, none of them were a match. Some members of the Sablan clan had their blood drawn too, but there were no match too.

Ronald Sablan, father of Audrey, said he went to Nevada because of his grandson Aedan’s last chemotheraphy on Oct. 6 and that they were expecting for him to be under full remission at that time.

Sablan said when they were informed that the leukemia has relapsed, he and the rest of brothers, sisters, and family members proceeded to the hospital hoping that one of them would have matched for the bone marrow transplant.

“Unfortunately none of us did,” he said.

Sablan said while he was leaving Nevada to go back to Saipan last Oct. 31, he said goodbye to them in the hospital.

“He (Aedan) was just cuddling on his bed and he said ‘Papa are you leaving me? I just broke out [in tear], my daughter broke out,” Sablan said.

Aedan’s words prompted Sablan to extend his stay.

Sablan said after a few days the blessing came true—a search for a match in the National Donor Registry and the Cord-blood Donor Registry found three cord-blood matches.

“I thanked God!” said Sablan, who was with Aedan for one month and only came back to Saipan last week.

Santos said they were lucky because Aedan basically only has a week left at that time until the match was found.

“We were praying for miracle and we got it. We’re so thankful. And I really believe that it’s because of the prayers of all our friends and family here and in the states and everywhere,” Santos said.

Back on Saipan, Mr. Sablan, his sister Jean Duenas Sablan, and Jean’s daughter, Angela Yamashita Santos immediately arranged the fundraising at PIC.

At the fundraising event, auction was held after the cocktails and refreshments. The Icon Band and Larry Lee also entertained the participants.

Mr. Sablan said he is very touched with the overwhelming support to the fundraising from the community and the people they know.

“We would definitely appreciate any other assistance we can get from the community and family members. They can always reach us with my sister Jean at her house number at 234-8445 and her cellphone is 287-9114. My niece Angela can be called at PIC or at 234-6464,” Mr. Sablan said.

Santos said every penny raised at the event is going to Aedan to assist in his surgery, bone marrow transplant, as well as his recovery which will be anywhere between four and seven months.

Aedan will turn 5 years old on Dec. 20. If the transplant would be successful, he would actually be looking at a new life after that birthday.