INDIANAPOLIS — Ten days post-stem-cell-transplant, six-year-old Levi Galvez spends his Friday morning playing with clay and Legos in his hospital room at Riley Hospital For Children.
His dad, Geovani Galvez is right by his side.
“Yeah, four years we’ve lived here — in and out of the hospital,” Geovani Galvez said reflecting on his son’s cancer journey.
At two years old, Levi Galvez was diagnosed with Leukemia and since then, has spent time at Riley Hospital for Children receiving treatment.
“I look at him as somebody that I’m going to be there as a protector; somebody who is always going to be the provider,” Geovani Galvez said.
Around Christmas last year, Levi Galvez relapsed once again. Doctors told the family a stem cell transplant was the best treatment option. There was no match for the six-year-old through the national registry.
“We knew fast that he didn’t have a donor. Within 10 days, we all got tested,” Geovani Galvez said.
The dad of two was a half-match donor, and on March 1 this past year, the transplant was performed.
“If I wouldn’t be here right now, he wouldn’t be getting a transplant, so it’s pretty big. It’s pretty awesome I am able to do this,” Geovani Galvez said.
In late July of 2021, Geovani Galvez attempted suicide.
“Things got a little rough. I was always used to helping others, so it’s kind of hard to help for help when you’re so used to giving help,” Geovani Galvez said.
He added all he knew at that moment was he did not want to die. He had to live for his kids.
“I felt like that wasn’t me. That wasn’t who I wanted to be,” Geovani Galvez said.
He spent 11 days at Methodist Hospital, where he works as a financial counselor in the emergency department. The attempt left him with fractured ribs, a damaged diaphragm, and missing a spleen.
“Sometimes I used to wonder why I lived, but there was a greater purpose after that,” Geovani Galvez said.
It’s a second chance at life for both father and son and a story Geovani Galvez plans now to share with the world.
“I hope that one day I can give hope to people. There is hope with all this. Just because you seem like you’re going through a dark day, it’s not like it’s the last,” Geovani Galvez said.
For the next month or so, Levi Galvez will remain at Riley. Once he is discharged, he will quarantine for a year. Geovani Galvez plans to speak with the trauma survivor's group and peer visitation through Methodist Hospital to share his story.
If you or someone you know is thinking about hurting themselves, the suicide prevention lifeline is available around the clock at 1-800-273-TALK. You can also text "IN" to 741741.
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