Talented 10-year-old awaits bone marrow transplant
Born with sickle cell anemia, violin prodigy has experienced three strokes in two years
Before he could speak, Caesar Sant played the violin. And now at 10 years old, he has performed for thousands of people.
Aline Sant, Caesar’s mother, said when he was a baby he would move his hands like a composer and hum songs.
“We would sing all the time, like the little kid’s songs,” Aline said.
“The physical therapist he could only see 20 times in a year. I needed to send him 20 times in one month, but then it would be over.”
Lucas Sant,
“He would make his father put him in his lap and listen to composers,” she said. “He loved Beethoven.”
She said she would play Baby Einstein CD’S for him, and when he got his first violin lesson he cried from joy.
“I love the violin,” Caesar said. “I’ve been playing eight years.”
At 2 years old, Caesar began learning how to play the violin, and by 4 years old he performed the national anthem at baseball games.
Caesar would practice every day with his instructors, and learned songs by Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi and Ludwig Van Beethoven.
Multiple media outlets, including National Geographic, called Caesar a violin prodigy.
By 5 years old, Caesar’s sickle cell anemia, a disease in which blood cells don’t carry enough oxygen throughout the body, became overwhelming.
Caesar experienced three strokes over two years.
The third stroke temporarily paralyzed him, and left him unable to play for months.
Aline said even though Caesar could not speak she could see the sadness in his eyes.
Caesar’s doctors in North Carolina recommended physical therapy and a bone marrow transplant, which could help him defeat the anemia, but both treatments were expensive.
Lucas, Caesar’s father, created a Gofundme to raise money for the bone marrow transplant, while he took physical therapy into his own hands.
He said one hour of physical therapy cost $300, so he decided to quit his neuroscientist job at Wake Forest School of Medicine to work Caesar through physical therapy at home.
“I spent two to three hours with him every day downstairs in the house in North Carolina,” Lucas said. “The physical therapist he could only see 20 times in a year. I needed to send him 20 times in one month, but then it would be over.”
Lucas said he misses working at Wake Forest, but his son needs him more.
After months of Lucas out of a job, and medical bills piling up, Caesar’s hematologist referred him to St. Jude, where the medical expenses are covered.
Yvonne Carroll, director of patient services in St. Jude’s hematology department, said the hospital usually covers medical treatments, procedures, transportation and food for the patient and one guardian.
“St. Jude is great,” Lucas said. “It’s unfortunate we didn’t move here before.”
The Sants moved to Memphis in March, and Caesar’s parents flipped the Gofundme page from medical funds to supporting their living expenses.
Lucas said Aline works in a housecleaning service to provide some money for groceries, but the donations from the fundraising page help with medicines and bills.
“We don’t like to complain a lot,” Lucas said. “We are just thankful for what people have donated. The Gofundme helps us a lot, and St. Jude is free and we are so thankful.”
Lucas said Caesar will hopefully have his bone marrow transplant in September.