In his superhero costume, Lukas Ramos is ready to fight all types of “bad guys,” both real and imagined. Despite his young age, he has plenty of experience facing tough enemies, which includes defeating B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
He is always happy. He was a normal kid, in spite of everything, said his mom,
Michelle Ramos.
It all started when four-year-old Lukas had a cold that just wouldn’t go away. He was weak and looking pale.
I just knew something was off,
said Michelle.
In March 2022, his physician in Eagle Pass, Texas sent him to CHRISTUS Children’s in San Antonio, where he was officially diagnosed with ALL. Leukemia occurs when the body makes too many white blood cells that don’t work properly. In Lukas’ case, it affected a type of white blood cell called a “B-cell.” This is the type of white blood cells that make antibodies that fight infection.
By crowding out healthy blood cells, these abnormal B-cells make it harder for the immune system to fight infections, produce platelets to prevent bleeding, and produce red cells to deliver oxygen to the body.
Common symptoms include feeling very tired or weak, having shortness of breath, pain in the bones, poor appetite, weight loss, fevers, and belly pain. People with ALL are also more prone to serious infections. Michelle said it was terrifying to hear, but she relied on her faith and community for support.
We had a lot of people praying for him. God gave me peace in the situation.
CHRISTUS Children's Cancer & Blood Disorders Clinic in San Antonio provides patient-centered care for pediatric and young adult blood and bone marrow transplant patients. Our specialists provide exceptional care for inpatient or outpatient patients.
Lukas underwent a round of induction chemotherapy. This is the initial chemotherapy cycle patients receive to try and destroy as many cancer cells as possible in hopes of putting the disease into remission. Unfortunately, testing found Lukas’ body still showed signs of leukemia despite receiving strong chemotherapy.
If the original oncology therapy doesn’t put the patient into remission, that’s when physicians begin exploring additional treatment options, like a bone marrow transplant,
said Laurie Davis, M.D., Ph.D., a pediatric blood and marrow transplant physician with CHRISTUS Children’s Blood and Marrow Transplant Program.
The blood and marrow transplant (BMT) process involves wiping out a person’s immune system so that healthy donor stem cells can be introduced into their body. Stem cells have the ability to grow into a new immune system for the patient.
Think of BMT like renovating a rundown home so that you can rebuild it to be a stronger and safer structure for the new homeowner,
explained Dr. Davis.
For the bone marrow transplant to be successful, the patient and the donor need to have appropriately matched markers for the recipient to accept the donor stem cells. Often a close relative, like a sibling or parent, becomes the stem cell donor.
Everyone in our family got tested. His father was a match,
said Michelle.
Lukas had the transplant in November 2022. His immune system then had to be rebuilt slowly over time, and once strong enough he had to again receive vaccinations for illnesses he was previously vaccinated for as an infant.
Michelle said she felt extremely supported by the staff at CHRISTUS Children’s throughout the entire course of treatment. Because they lived several hours away, she and Lukas stayed at the Ronald McDonald House located inside the hospital for months.
It helped having a friendly face,
said Michelle. At certain points, I had no one there, so the nurses and other staff were my stand-in support system.
The blood and marrow transplant program offers a team of multidisciplinary specialists who work together to provide expert level care to patients throughout the patient’s treatment. From child life specialists, pastoral care, a bilingual nurse practitioner, specially trained nurses, and a specialized pharmacist, Dr. Davis said the blood and marrow transplant program at CHRISTUS Children’s is a tight-knit community providing unparalleled support.
Few teams personify teamwork like the transplant team,
said Dr. Davis.
Dr. Davis also believes a major part of what helped Lukas navigate his intensive treatment was his supportive mother and family.
The transplant process is a long journey. In my experience, the patients that do the very best are the ones that have strong support systems and closely follow the team’s recommended therapy plan,
said Dr. Davis.
Lukas was able to go home in June 2023. He will have regular check-ups with the BMT team to ensure his cancer hasn’t returned. His mom says he looks forward to starting kindergarten in the fall.
He’s acting like a normal kid. We’re a closer family than we were before,
said Ramos. I would tell other families to never lose faith.
For more information about the Pediatric Blood & Marrow Transplant program at CHRISTUS Children’s, please click here.
