Off isolation

When your immune-compromised child gets a bug - even a minor cold - it's a big deal.

Granted, the fungal infection in his brain and graft versus host disease in his gut are far more serious for Dominic right now, but there was cause for celebration Monday night here in the hospital.

Just after 6 p.m. our nurse came in the room. But this time she wasn't wearing a mask or a gown. She ripped off the yellow sign on the door reminding staff that he's on isolation for the cold virus he's had since August.

We yelped. We couldn't believe it.

A routine snot sample came back negative. He can officially now roam the hallways again.

We immediately opened the door and shooed him out. He screamed, as if to say 'but I'm not allowed out here!' He ran back inside.

Undeterred, we carried him through the unit, beaming. He might have been the one on isolation but it really meant all of us were.

He's still in his room for much of the day - he doesn't have a lot of energy given all he's going through - but this was a literal step in the right direction. Now to let the GVHD do its work against his leukemia and hopefully create a miracle.