Carew Leaves Angels to Be With Ailing Daughter

Angel batting instructor Rod Carew took an indefinite leave of absence Friday to be with his daughter, Michelle, who is experiencing more complications in her seven-month battle with a potentially fatal form of leukemia.

“Her condition has changed dramatically, and that’s why I did this,” Carew said, declining to elaborate on the exact nature of the complications. “I just have to stay away [from the team] right now.”

Michelle Carew, 18, underwent an umbilical cord-blood transplant March 22, a procedure doctors hope will provide her with a new immune system.

Carew said it is too early to determine if Michelle’s body has accepted or rejected the cord blood. If the procedure is successful, new white blood cells will begin reproducing. If not, Michelle could experience “graft vs. host disease,” which could result in potentially serious complications.

“We have to get past some other things before we can determine if the transplant takes,” Carew said.

Michelle, listed in critical condition at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, has experienced some kidney failure and went on dialysis earlier this week.

Last fall, she suffered from several serious fungal infections and underwent 14 operations, including one that saved her vision in September. She also survived a five-week period this winter in which she was critically ill and needed round-the-clock care for respiratory failure, heart failure, liver and kidney failure and extreme fevers.

“She seems to respond to Rod’s voice,” Angel General Manager Bill Bavasi said. “This is such a tough time; he wants to be close to her and motivate her as best as possible. It’s real tough to divide his concentration [between Michelle and the team], so right now the thing to do is give it all to her.”