Episode 36: A Brother’s Gift with Wills and Esther Levy

Wills Levy was only five years old when he donated bone marrow to his one year old brother, Andrew. On this episode, Wills and his mom Esther talk about Andrew’s cancer experience and the impact on their family, how Wills’ cells gave the family extra time with Andrew to create memories, and how Andrew continues to guide the way they live, even after his death in 2016. This beautiful conversation highlights the power of a mother’s intuition, and a brother’s mission to squeeze every opportunity out of life knowing that time is never guaranteed. Note to listeners: This podcast was recorded the day before the devastating wildfires in Lahaina where the Levys reside and therefore does not reference the grief and trauma experienced by Wills’ classmates and the entire Maui community. Our hearts are with the Levys and their Maui family. Manta Maps are coming! Step-by-step subway maps that guide you through the entire cancer experience. Learn more here! Key Highlights: The power of the time Wills’ bone marrow donation gave the family to create memories with Andrew. How Esther’s maternal intuition ended the arduous path to a cancer diagnosis for Andrew. Andrew’s legacy of joy in guiding the family to live without regrets and take advantage of every opportunity presented to them. About our guests: Esther Levy is a mom of four children between the ages of 6 and 14 years old – three on earth and one who resides in her heart. In 2014 her life turned upside down when her third child Andrew was diagnosed with AMKL (Leukemia) at the age of 14 months. She left her career in pediatric nutrition and as a wellness coach to be by Andrew’s side and to care for her family. She is passionate about her family, fitness, and nutrition. Esther and her husband helped start a music therapy program for hospitalized children at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, and she is in the process of writing a book. She recently launched an online community entitled, “The Lost Sibling Project” to help empower bereaved siblings to process their grief. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in Human Biology from Stanford and a MSc with distinction in Public Health and Nutrition from the University of Westminster in London. She currently lives with her family in Maui. Wills Levy is a freshman at Seabury Hall in Maui where he serves as the freshmen class president and spends every extra minute outside school playing soccer, traveling (to play soccer), and cooking/eating spicy food. For the last 4+ years he's served on the junior board of the Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute - a cause he has passionately supported since he donated his bone marrow to his brother Andrew. His younger sisters awarded him the "world's best big brother" trophy. His parents agree.  Key Moments: 8 minutes: Wills on extra time with Andrew after donating his bone marrow. “Some of the most important and meaningful moments of my life with Andrew happened during that time. So it felt very good to do the bone marrow transplant and start that period of time.” 59 minutes: What Andrew continues to teach the family about living life. “I do not look back with regrets at all. Everything that we experienced with Andrew, I don't look back at the what ifs and the regrets because it's just what happened, and it's the way life was. We did the best that we could, and we're proud of the life that we gave Andrew.” Visit the Manta Cares website  Disclaimer: This podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment & is at the user's own risk.