SHORT UPDATES: As of this month, September, we celebrate Caesar’s second anniversary—where the date of a transplant is heralded as a new birth. He is now 100% healed. A book detailing Caesar’s journey, entitled “AN INSPIRATIONAL STORY: The Gifted Caesar Sant Rising Above The Odds”, is slated  for publication in the upcoming months, well before this year’s end. This literary debut will be complemented by his second album recording, which will showcase his debut violin concerto, a piece he wrote a mere few months ago, impressively at the tender age of 14. In alignment with our mission, we actively seek patrons to hasten these endeavors. We extend a warm invitation to those moved to support, or simply seek more information, to reach out to us. After the monumental success of his bone marrow transplant—a feat we owe immensely to NIH—Caesar’s remarkable transformation is nearly unfathomable. It is a living testament to dreams materializing. Reflecting on his miraculous recovery from three strokes, I resonate deeply with Caesar’s cherished sentiment: “The Lord is God, and God is Good.” Indeed, hope is everything.

Background: Caesar was born in Providence, RI, in 2008. By 2010, his family had relocated to Winston-Salem, NC. Come March 2019, they chose to settle in Memphis, TN, driven by the desire to be in proximity to a bone marrow transplant center. At the tender age of 2, Caesar embarked on his violin lessons and, in no time, began astonishing his music instructors with his exceptional natural prowess. Concurrently, he exhibited a keen interest in foreign languages and a mathematical aptitude that, initially, took his mother by surprise. Regrettably, when he turned 4, the subsequent two years saw him endure three incapacitating strokes, a consequence of the sickle cell anemia he was born with. The third stroke, which occurred in 2014, robbed him of his mobility and the ability to play his beloved violin. His story during this time captured the attention of the National Geographic, as seen here: https://rb.gy/gzo25 .This near-fatal episode necessitated a rigorous relearning process for almost all his basic skills – while most highlighted the music he has regrouped with, subjects like math have not been revisited similarly, though his learning speed remains remarkable.  Yet, through divine intervention and the unwavering support of benevolent souls from diverse faiths, beliefs, and countries, our dwindling hope was reignited, and our faith bolstered. This strengthened resolve propelled us to commit more fervently to Caesar’s recovery. A highlight of this period was approximately two years later when Caesar had the privilege to meet and perform for the renowned violinist, Mr. Itzhak Perlman, in Virginia, presenting Thais by Jules Massenet.

In 2021, the pivotal moment arrived: Caesar underwent a successful bone marrow transplant at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), effectively banishing nearly a decade of pain and uncertainty. Merely a week before Christmas in 2021, our residence in Memphis, TN, welcomed back a revived Caesar Sant.

A little under a year from that time, everyone had the privilege to witness Caesar showcase the Thais Meditation at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC: https://rb.gy/8w8m6  .Caesar’s remarkable learning rate allows him to assemble vast amounts of information in short intervals, partly due to the inherent rapid absorption with which, in general, children’s brain operate: when in optimal health, the spectrum of possibilities truly becomes boundless. For instance, if you observed his progress last week, you would note significant improvements today, in everything, specially in music. Here is him performing Bach’s Sarabande at 14 years of age: https://rb.gy/gtb1i ,yet during violin practice yesterday, it sounded even more refined and polished.  

While he still bears the burdens of his past (marks of the strokes before the transplant), evidenced by his unsteady gait, he is the happiest person to be around.  Recently, if we did  not set boundaries, he would be engrossed in composing all day — his newfound passion. Utterly, perhaps the most telling sign of his indomitable spirit is his perpetual smile, serving as a poignant reminder of the intrinsic value of joy. 

Presently, our attention is directed towards Caesar’s sister, Maria-Anita, a 13-year-old adolescent. Sharing the same blood affliction as her brother, her health, while currently stable, certainly necessitate a similar transplant or possibly gene therapy in the foreseeable future. We are awaiting more comprehensive data from the scientific field regarding gene therapy. However, a pressing concern looms: the absence of a suitable donor for this young soul. The twin pillars that saw us through Caesar’s trials—unyielding hope and relentless effort—will now be channeled to aid his beloved sister, Maria-Anita, with her passion for painting and an avid appreciation for reading classics, just wrote a 210-page manuscript that intimately chronicles her life with her family through both the challenging and delightful years. She is presently engaged in the editing phase, with aspirations to present the book by the year’s end.