Liam Della

Strike a Chord for Cancer Foundation Making life better by striking a chord in someones heart

Strike A Chord donated a guitar and amplifier so Liam could get stuck into learning music. Pictured above is Strike A Chord's Grants Officer, David Radalj, with Liam.

A Letter From Liam's Mum, Maria, to the Strike A Chord For Cancer Foundation. February 2009:
Liam is the youngest of four boys in our family. The 2008 school year did not start out with the usual energy & enthusiasm of a 14 y.o. boy. In April, Liam got a chest bug that did not resolve. In May, Liam had pneumonia that did not get better and after many doctor’s visits & blood tests, Liam was diagnosed in July 2008 with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML). We were all horrified and shocked by the news. Thankfully, this type of Leukaemia is treatable & Liam’s chemotherapy began the day after his admission and required 3 separate cycles of intensive chemotherapy followed by a bone marrow transplant (BMT). BMT is the best possible treatment for AML and is offered early if there is a matched sibling in the family.

During the early days of Liam’s treatment, the whole family had blood taken to see if one of Liam’s brothers was a match for the (BMT). The medical staff advised us that it is rare that a family member would match Liam’s marrow even though the probability is 1:4. We were very relieved & thankful when were told in late August that Liam’s brother Peter (22 y.o.) was an exact match and would be a suitable donor.

On 24/11/08, Liam had the BMT. For Liam, preparation of his bones to receive BM, meant that he had to have 2 chemo agents over 10 days prior to the transplant to kill off his faulty marrow. Liam was quite sick for 8 weeks after this chemo conditioning treatment. For Peter to donate his marrow he was admitted to RPH as a day procedure patient & had his marrow taken from his hip bones under general anaesthetic. Peter donated 1.100 mls (1/3 of his marrow capacity).

Form start of treatment to completion, Liam was in hospital for 6 months with some days at home between chemo cycles. During his hospitalisation, Liam was in an isolation room by himself to protect him from germs in the environment. One of the highlights in his long days in hospital was the visits from Louise, the music therapist who taught Liam some chords on the guitar and engaged his enjoyment of music.

Since his discharge from PMH in January, Liam is rapidly regaining his strength & his sunny disposition shines through our days. We are so thankful and grateful for all we have received during the past 6 months. There is such love & generosity that has come our way. Thank you all so much.

Kind regards,

Maria Della