Sibling's Perfect Match Saves Sister's Life
A remaking of wonder: Sister set to donate after a quarter-century of cancer survival
In a heartwarming story of family and resilience, Teagan Morrison, the youngest of three sisters, has been confirmed as a "perfect match" for her sister, Kinsey Morrison. This life-saving discovery comes as Kinsey faces a challenging battle against severe aplastic anemia, a rare condition where bone marrow fails to produce enough new blood cells and platelets.
Kinsey, diagnosed more than 20 years ago, has lived with this condition for most of her life. Her counts remained stable for more than two decades, allowing her to avoid a transplant until now. However, when she was found to need a transplant this fall, the family faced a daunting challenge.
The odds of finding a suitable donor within the family are slim. Only about 25% of patients have a perfect match in their family, and in Kinsey's case, the family could not find a donor anywhere in the world. But hope came in the form of Teagan, who was planned to be a bone marrow donor for her sister.
Teagan, born 22 years ago with the help of IVF, was overjoyed to help her sister in this way. The transplant process will involve Kinsey undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, followed by the transplant of Teagan's blood marrow.
Kinsey's journey has not been without its hardships. She was told she had only weeks to live when she was diagnosed, and over the years, she has faced more funerals than weddings due to the impact of her illness. Despite this, she remains hopeful and is planning to have her own family one day. To mitigate the risks of infertility associated with the transplant process, Kinsey had her eggs frozen.
Kinsey and her husband will face isolation for a number of months before she can be reunited with her family. This difficult period will be followed by a long recovery process, but Kinsey remains optimistic about the future.
In the face of adversity, the Morrison family has shown remarkable strength and determination. Their story serves as a reminder of the power of family and the importance of organ donation.
References
- Aplastic Anemia and Myelodysplastic Syndromes: Diagnosis and Staging Workshop II. Blood. 2001;97(3):897–905. doi:10.1182/blood-2001-02-0473
- National Marrow Donor Program. (n.d.). Bone Marrow Transplant. Retrieved from https://www.marrow.org/for-patients-and-families/disease-info/transplant-info/bone-marrow-transplant
- World Health Organization. (2008). Classification of Myeloid Neoplasms and Acute Leukemias. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/haematologic-malignancies/classification/2008/en/
- Science has made advancements in treating medical-conditions like severe aplastic anemia, a situation where bone marrow fails to produce enough new blood cells and platelets.
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