Phase 5 Treatment Day 249
(07/10/2008)
Phase 5 Treatment Day 369
(11/09/2008)
Phase 5 Treatment Day 593
(06/21/2008)
Phase 5 Treatment Day 958
(06/19/2008)

Over the next 3 years, Gabriel will repeat the 84 days over and over until the 3 years are complete. At that time the doctors will monitor him for 6 more months before they decide to remove his port that they placed in his chest.  

Also, I have posted a really cute video of Gabriel singing Jingle Bells. It is priceless! Just click the link and wait for a moment.

God bless you,

Tom, Carol and the entire Sullivan Family  
"Whenever my enemy provokes me to combat, I try to behave like a soldier."
St. Therese, the Little Flower

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Gabriel began Phase 5 Maintenance Course 2 this week and is doing very well. His spirits are always high and it seems that the worst part of the treatments are behind us. His Maintenance Phase will continue now for the remaining 2 1/2 years with a daily regiment of medications, but he handles taking his medications like a true warrior. Never a complaint or fuss and always looking ahead to when he is better. Many times he will say, "When I get better, I am going to play on a soccer team". He is such a strong little boy and tells us often that Jesus is going to make him better.  I will continue to put up some new videos and photos since I know many of you are following Gabriel's progress regularly.  We thank you for all your prayers, we know that it is the power of prayer that will see us all through this.

If you have not yet checked out Gabriel's new website, www.gabrielsgiftsgalore.com make it a point to stop by and pass it on to your list of friends.  

God bless you and good night,
-Tom
"Whenever my enemy provokes me to combat, I try to behave like a soldier."
St. Therese, the Little Flower
 

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Well, a lot has happened since my last update on Gabriel. He had a fabulous time at the Monster Jam event in Orlando, made possible by Chris Rossbach from Live Nation Motor Sports in Tampa, (Chris and Gabriel at right), his hair is growing back now, he has learned to ride a 2 wheel bicycle, and now he wants to tackle a pair of roller blades. He is truly an amazing little warrior.

The Monster Jam event this past January has been the highlight of Gabriel's life. You would think it was just yesterday by the way he is so enthralled with his Monster Jam trucks, video games, World Finals DVD's etc... It has become something that allows him to take his mind off all that is going on around him with daily medications, stricked hygiene precautions and visits to the hospital for his chemo treatments. I placed a video up on his website of Gabriel going to the hospital dressed in his Monster Truck shirt, El Toro Loco hat and playing with his Monster Jam Trucks in the treatment room. Near the end of the video you will see him laying on the table clutching his Monster Trucks even during his treatments. It is a very cute 6 minute clip. There are some other new clips there as well.

We are coming up on the one year mark of Gabriel's diagnoses with Leukemia (May 1st). It has been a very long and trying year for all of us and we thank God for our Faith and all your prayers and support. On May 28th, 2008, Gabriel will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. Our local Bishop has extended this privilege to him to strengthen him and to aid him in this fight that he is in for his life. The Sacrament of Confirmation is called "The Sacrament of Battle" by the Church and for good reason. It gives us the spiritual strengthening we need to combat the evils of this world in all its forms. Please pray for Gabriel especially on the evening of May 28th and unite your prayers with him as this most holy Sacrament is bestowed upon him.

This week, Gabriel began Course 3 of his maintenance treatments. Over the next 2 1/2 years, Gabriel will repeat the 12 week routine over and over until the 2 1/2 years are complete. He is really doing well and the doctors are very pleased with how Gabriel is responding and how good his spirits are. Looking at him, you would never know there was anything wrong. He plays, runs, rides his bike, wrestles with this brothers, plays soccer, swims and even jumps over ramps with his bicycle. And if you think that is something, you should see him on a skateboard. I promise I will get some more videos up of all this in the coming weeks and months ahead.

We thank you once again for your much needed financial support, your never ending prayers and all the cards we have received. 2 1/2 years from now, I am confident you and I will look back at this period of time in our lives and together we will know, we fought this battle well along with Gabriel. I also know that God will not let our love, sacrifices, and prayers be in vain.

Well, that is about it for now, I will post another update as we continue to journey forward with Gabriel.

If you haven't done so yet, visit Gabriel's Gifts Galore at www.GabrielsGiftsGalore.com. It is an online store we have set-up to raise funds to help us with Gabriel's ongoing treatments. You can also follow Gabriel's progress at www.GabrielPSullivan.com.

God bless you,
-Tom, Carol and the entire Sullivan Family

"Whenever my enemy provokes me to combat, I try to behave like a soldier."
St. Therese, the Little Flower
 

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07/10/2008 - Gabriel Continues on Course 4 of Maintenance. Gabriel continues to do well as he progresses through course 4 of his maintenance treatments. Everyday I keep waiting for him to rebel against taking his medication everyday or going to the hospital, but he doesn't. He is so cooperative and does exactly what we ask him to do with such a spirit of trust and dependency. We can all learn so much from him. He is truly an amazing little warrior.

Not too much has happened since my last update. Gabriel had a beautiful Confirmation and he did break his arm riding his bike in our yard. He fell and broke his arm in two places just above his left wrist. We took him to All Children's Hospital where they have a pediatric orthopedic center near by. He was so good as the doctor took X-rays, and then let him pick out a color for his cast. The doctor asked him if it hurt and Gabriel shook his head no. Then the doctor said "it will when I start to wrap the cast on". The PA showed him a series of colored samples and asked him to pick one. Of course he picked blue since blue is his favorite color. I think that's because blue is the color of one of his favorite monster trucks, "Blue Thunder".

Gabriel had the cast on for four weeks and everything healed nicely. The doctor was actually surprised to find out Gabriel had leukemia because he looked so good and his bones healed so well. Once the cast was removed they did a bone density scan because his Oncology doctor told us the medication, Dexamethazone he is taking causes his bones to loose density and makes them more fragile. So he won't be riding his bike for awhile.

On May 28th, Gabriel received the Sacrament of Confirmation. He looked so cute. Watch the video here. On our way to the Church, Gabriel wanted a toasted bagel from Dunkin Donuts with cream cheese. We told him that we would get him a bagel to celebrate his Confirmation after Mass was over. Well, just as the Bishop gave the final blessing, Gabriel looked at his sister and sponsor Maria and asked, "can I have a bagel now?". Gabriel took a few pictures and off we went to Dunkin Donuts to get him a toasted bagel with cream cheese. We all went back to our house and all celebrated this amazing gift Gabriel received in the awesome Sacrament. Punctuated of course with his bagel.

I want to thank Bishop Lynch of the Diocese of St. Petersburg for his tremendous compassion in administering this Sacrament of Confirmation to Gabriel at his young age. With this added spiritual strength, I believe that Gabriel's chances of survival and beating this cancer has just been increased a thousand fold.

That is about it for now, I will keep you all posted as we continue to journey forward with Gabriel. We have completed the first year of treatments and have 2 1/2 more to go.

God bless you and thank you for all your prayers and financial support,
-Tom, Carol and the entire Sullivan Family

"Whenever my enemy provokes me to combat, I try to behave like a soldier."
St. Therese, the Little Flower

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11/9/2008 - Gabriel Continues His Maintenance Phase. Gabriel continues his maintenance phase of treatments and is in his 6th course of Treatments. He is doing very well over-all. He had a small bout with fever which set him back a few weeks due to his blood counts being too low to continue treatment. But after a couple weeks, his blood counts returned to an acceptable level and his medications were phased back in, first at 50%, then after a week, 75%, and then finally 100%. He is now back in full swing and doing great.

He is full of energy and seems to be getting smarter every day. Sometime I forget he is only 5 years old. The way he tells his brothers and sister about visits to the hospital and the results of his blood tests is truly amazing. He takes great pride in telling everyone that his counts are good when we get a good report from the doctor. It is as if he knows exactly what he is talking about. I actually believe he knows a lot more than people give him credit for at his age.

Gabriel's brother in-law, Lance joined the Air Force this past October and we were privileged to be able to attend  his graduation. Gabriel had a really good time playing around all the planes and jets. He was especially enticed by all the airmen in their uniforms. The way they marched, saluted and all the precision in the way they moved and stood at attention. He actually began to imitate the airmen saluting and standing at attention including holding his arms at his sides and holding his hands tightly in a fist.

He was also truly fascinated by the many different types of aircrafts. On display were a number of jets like the F-16, the SR-71, the C-130, and many others. He even sat up on the nose gun of the A-10A Thunderbolt. It was such a joy for us to be able to spend such an exciting weekend where Gabriel just had fun.

We are beginning to prepare now for the holidays that will soon be upon us before we know it. This past year has been a year of trials, but at the same time, a year of great graces. Carol and I continue to pray daily for Gabriel's complete recovery and take much comfort knowing all of you are praying with us. I have posted Gabriel's Confirmation video, he is so cute. After the Bishop confirmed him, he shook the bishops hand, then turned and skipped away. It was truly priceless.

I have also added a new series of photos from our trip to Lackland Air Force Base. There you can see all the fun Gabriel had. Well, that is all for now. Please continue to Keep Gabriel in your prayers and know that you are all in our family prayers too.

God bless you and thank you for all your prayers and financial support,
-Tom, Carol and the entire Sullivan Family

"Whenever my enemy provokes me to combat, I try to behave like a soldier."
St. Therese, the Little Flower

Day 593

06/20/2009 - Gabriel Continues to Do Well. Last month (May 1) was Gabriel's 2 year mark since he was diagnosed with leukemia. Hopefully the next 14 months will go by as fast as the past 24. Gabriel is now 5 years old, soon to be 6 in August. Although he has not grown much physically, he has sure grown mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I think we could all learn a few lessons from him. He has taught us so much about trust and faith. We can truly understand what Jesus meant when he said, unless you become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Gabriel's faith, strength and purity of heart gives us all pause on a daily basis.

 It has been some time since my last update so I will try and bring you up to date.

This past December, a young NHL Hockey player named Vinny Lecavalier came to visit the children at All Children's hospital during Gabriel's chemo treatment and spinal tap. (Un-known to us, Vinny donated 3 million dollars to form The Vinny Lecavalier Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorder Center at All Children’s Hospital, the Center handling Gabriel's treatment). The doctor came into Gabriel's treatment room and told us that Vinny would like to watch Gabriel's spinal tap procedure and asked us if it would be ok? Vinny didn't want to just donate money, he wanted to be part of the entire picture including meeting the children and their families and seeing first hand what goes on.

Vinny came in and joined us as the doctors began Gabriel's spinal tap and chemo treatment. I must say, he was one of the nicest, sincerest and most honorable young men I have ever met. He truly cares and wants to help the children and their families. He went on to talk to Gabriel and then gave him 2 autographed photos in his Tampa Bay Lightning uniform on the ice. After Gabriel's treatment, he told his older brothers that Vinny came to see him and they were absolutely stunned. Little did we know just how famous a hockey player Vinny is. We saw a young man who loves children and would use everything in his power to try and give these children a chance at life. You can see Vinny and the news conference covering his work with All Children's Hospital by clicking here. Thank you Vinny for your kindness, generosity and love for these children struggling for life. And thank you for touching Gabriel's life that day.

This past January we were once again blessed by the generosity of Chris Rossback and the Monster Jam family. Gabriel and family spent the day at Raymond James stadium in Tampa Florida for the Monster Jam pit party and the evening races and free style show. It was truly amazing and Gabriel had an absolutely amazing time. His collection of Monster Jam Trucks and games continues to grow as does his interest in the drivers behind the wheels of these amazing trucks.

One of the first things Gabriel wanted to do was to give Chris a plaque we had made for him of Gabriel and Chris from the last Monster Jam in Orlando FL in 2008.

Being a year older now at 5 1/2, Gabriel was not as shy as he was last year. He was interested in meeting the drivers and talking with the people he met. He even wanted to drive on the radio controlled Monster Tucks that were racing in the pit party. After giving Chris the plaque we made for Chris, Gabriel wanted to meet the driver of the Monster truck named Bulldozer. So Chris Rossback took him over to the truck and introduced Gabriel to "Chuck", the driver of Bulldozer.

I can't say enough about these men and women involved in the Monster Jam organization. They bring great joy to the children of all ages including us big kids. They are truly genuine people and go out of their way to be as personal with each and every one they meet. Chuck would go on to talk to Gabriel and autograph his 2009 Monster Jam T-Shirt that Chris had given to him earlier.

After meeting "Chuck", the driver of the Monster truck Bulldozer, Gabriel had a new hero that he would cheer for as the races began later in the evening. Each time Bulldozer would enter the track, no matter who he was racing against, Gabriel would stand up and yell "Go Chuck!". It was truly a moment in time that will remain in our memories for many years to come. Thank you Chris for bringing such joy to Gabriel and our family. You are a remarkable young man and we are blessed and privileged to know you at this time in Gabriel's life.

As Gabriel's 2 year mark (May 1st) approached, Gabriel had a few battles with fever and viruses which required a couple trips to All Children's hospital. On May 26th, Gabriel's immune system counts went dangerously low to 80 (1000 is where the doctors want to try and keep his counts at). This required Gabriel to be placed in a quarenteen status. The doctors stopped all chemo treatments and as the weeks went by, Gabriel began to rebound. As of this update, Gabriel is up to 75% strength of his chemo treatment. On June 29th, he will be evaluated again, if his counts continue to remain high enough, he will return to full strength chemo treatments.

So as we continue to move forward, we live each day one day at a time, and thank God for the time He has given us to live, love and enjoy the time we have to share as a family. To learn the lessons of life together, and deal with the challenges that are before us and at the same time, see the beautiful gift of life that Gabriel is to all of us.

God bless,
-Tom, Carol and the entire Sullivan Family

"Whenever my enemy provokes me to combat, I try to behave like a soldier."
St. Therese, the Little Flower

Day 958

06/19/2010 - Gabriel is in the Final Stretch. Last month, Gabriel crossed the 3 year mark in his final treatment phase. Next month, July 12th is his last scheduled treatment and we are all very excited. Gabriel has done extremely well during these past 3+ years of chemo treatments. We all expect his prognosis to be good and look forward to crossing this milestone in his young life.

Gabriel is most excited about the fact that he will be able to eat whenever he wants to. You see, since he was diagnosed, because of the meds he is on, he has to wait 2 hours after dinner to take his evening medication. Then he has to wait another 1 hour until he can have an evening snack. It is truly the "forbidden fruit". This week he is on steroids, a medication he must take every 3 weeks for 5 days and his appettite soars which makes this medicine schedule especially tough. The medicine alters his personality and makes him not only hungry, but cranky and winey. For 3 hours we hear.... "Can I eat yet?". I can't wait to simply tell him, "you can eat whenever you want little buddy".

This past year has not been to extraordinary, our routine with Gabriel has been pretty stable and we have become acustomed to the treatment schedule, hospital visits and "new normal" our lives have become. And although these past 3+ years have seemed like our lives have just stood still, I know it is just because we are so looking forward to July 12th of this year (2010).

But, like the true little warrior Gabriel is, nothing about Leukemia or his treatments have slowed him down.

In the early days of Gabriel's diagnosis, a young man from the Monster Jam organization named Chris Rossbach (left with Gabriel) came into Gabriel's life and the lives of our entire family. He has brought great joy into Gabriel's life by inviting him and our family as his special guests to the Annual Monster Jam held each year at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Florida. This year, Chris also invited Gabriel and the family to Barnum and Baily Circus in Tampa, but more on that in a moment. This years Monster Jam event had a very special surprise for Gabriel.

As you can see from Gabriel's ball cap, he is a big fan of the Monter Truck named, Grave Digger and the world famous and legenday driver of that vehicle, Dennis Anderson. This year Chris saw to it that Gabriel would get a chance to meet this legendary driver up close and personal.

Yes that tall giant of a man to the right towering over Gabriel is the legendary, Dennis Anderson, the driver of Grave Digger. Dennis went out of his way to talk with Gabriel, take pictures and meet our family. If you look closely at Gabriels right sleeve you will see that Dennis even autographed Gabriel's Grave Digger Tee-Shirt.

Gabriel then got a chance to climb up into the drivers seat of the famous Monster Truck "Grave DIgger" during the pit party before the big race that night.

The Monster Jam has become an event Gabriel looks forward to each year. If he had his way, he would go every weekend. He continues to ask me when we are going to the Las Vegas World Finals where the Volcano is. I am not sure what he means by the volcano, but I think it is something he saw in one of the World Finals DVDs he watches. I didn't even know he new Las Vegas even existed, never mind wanted to go there to see his Monster Jam heros. This year he said when he grows up, he wants to be a Monster Jam Driver.

The Monster Jam is truly an exciting event and truly oriented toward families and good clean family fun and excitment. The generosity of Chris Rossbach and the Monster Jam organization have been a Godsend and when the Monster Jam event is over, Gabriel tours the isles of Wamart looking for the mini Monster Trucks he does not yet have in his collection.

Every family should introduce their kids to this sport. It is truly fun, exciting and great for family bonding. Yes, there are even young women drivers in the Monster Jam events with their own trucks as well. I encourage everyone to check out the Monster Jam on the Speed TV channel if you want to get a feel for the excitment. Who knows, we may run into you at a future event or pit party.

Another exciting event this year that Chris Rossbach was responsible for bringing into Gabriel's life, was the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa Florida this year.

It was the first time Gabriel went to a Circus given his fluctuating immune system levels. Needless to say, he was completly amazed and excited to see all the preformers, motorcycles, acrobats and trapeze acts.

During the pre-show event, Gabriel was able to sit on one of the preformers motocycles, walk under a stilk walkers legs and participate in a jugglers act by throwing the balls to him and catching them as the juggler tossed them to him.

And, a circus would not be a circus if there wasn't cotton candy and a clown hat. Of course the cotton candy came with the hat and Gabriel had to have one.

Gabriel also got a real kick out of the red clown nose he received and had to wear it along with his hat all night. It was truly a very great evening and an amazing night for Gabriel. Once we got home, he opened a little bag Chris gave him at the Circus and inside was a matching pair of clown slippers to go with his hat and nose.

And finally let me say this. I have been so amazed at the love and generosity of many of these people and companies out there trying to help these little children with life threatening illnesses. The Monster Jam, Circus, Dairy Queen and the Childrens Miracle Network, Children's Dream Foundation and so many individuals like Chris Rossbach and Vinny Lecavalier who donated over 3 million dollars of his own money to Gabriel's Cancer clinic. You can read more about theses two men below as well.

Still to come, this Wednesday June 23rd, The Children's Miracle Network has arranged for Gabriel and family to be the guest of the Tampa Bay Rays, to meet the players, go to batting practice with them and throw in the first pitch. An event Gabriel has been practicing his fast ball :-) for for a week. He can throw 65 feet, 5 feet more than necesary from Pitchers's mound to Cather. It is going to be a good time for all.

Also on Gabriel's calander, the Children's Dream foundation has also scheduled a seven day Nichelodian Cruise for Gabriel and family to the Bahamas with many of the Nichelodian characters including Spunge Bob, Patrick and Dora. They set the cruise just in time for Gabriel to not only celebrate his completion of his treatments, but also his 7th birthday on August 6th.

I will post again as these events come to pass and share with you the joy these many people have brought into Gabriels life and the lives of our entire family. Because to see Gabriel happy, excited and having fun in the face of the challenge that faces him, brings great peace and joy to the rest of us as well.

Thank you to all of you for praying for Gabriel and bringing such memories to this litle boy. Memories we will possess forever.

God bless,
-Tom, Carol and the entire Sullivan Family

"Whenever my enemy provokes me to combat, I try to behave like a soldier."
St. Therese, the Little Flower