{"id":33541,"date":"2025-01-15T16:16:01","date_gmt":"2025-01-15T16:16:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cells4life.com\/?p=33541"},"modified":"2025-09-30T08:10:42","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T08:10:42","slug":"rare-leukemia-treated-by-sister-cord-blood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cells4life.com\/us\/2025\/01\/rare-leukemia-treated-by-sister-cord-blood\/","title":{"rendered":"Toddler\u2019s Rare Leukemia Treated by Sister\u2019s Cord Blood"},"content":{"rendered":"[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]\n

After two planned transplants from unrelated donors fell through at the very last minute, Australian three-year-old Tommy Bacon is now in remission from a rare, dangerous form of leukemia following a transplant of the stem cells from his baby sister\u2019s cord blood.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

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Tommy’s story\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Tommy fell ill not long after his parents discovered they were expecting a second child \u2013 a baby girl. When he first started showing signs of illness, his parents and their doctor were not immediately alarmed. They assumed it was just a case of the usual germs picked up at daycare, which he had recently begun attending.<\/p>\n

After he developed tonsillitis during a family trip to the UK in May 2023, however, his parents took him to the hospital and insisted he should be admitted. Tests eventually revealed that he had leukemia. More specifically, he had a form of the disease called juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML). What\u2019s worse, he had one of the most high-risk, aggressive variants.<\/p>\n

JMML is incredibly rare, with only 1-2 children out of one million being diagnosed with it every year[2]<\/a>. A stem cell transplant is the only curative treatment option. Without a transplant, however, a child with an aggressive variant of JMML could survive for less than a year.[3]<\/a><\/p>\n

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The search for a donor<\/span><\/h3>\n

Australia’s donor registry had no donor compatible with Tommy, so his parents started a donor drive. Eventually, an international donor was found. Unfortunately, however, the donor pulled out of the donation process a week before Tommy was due to start his pre-transplant chemotherapy.<\/p>\n

By then, Tommy\u2019s baby sister\u2019s due date was fast approaching, and his parents booked a date for the induction. On the day they were going into hospital, a phone call came that a second donor had been found for Tommy. Still, they decided to have their baby girl\u2019s cord blood collected and stored with an Australian cord blood bank, just in case \u2013 although they knew it wasn\u2019t guaranteed that she would be a match for Tommy.<\/p>\n

Not long after baby Aria\u2019s birth, the second donor, too, pulled out. The family was heartbroken.<\/p>\n

A search for a third donor got underway, but Tommy didn\u2019t have long. Because of this, a decision was made to prepare Tommy\u2019s dad as a half-matched (haploidentical) donor. Such a transplant would not have been ideal, since haploidentical transplant recipients are at higher risk of developing post-transplant complications[4]<\/a>. Absent a perfect match, though, this was Tommy\u2019s last hope.<\/p>\n

Then, the cord blood bank called: they had tested Aria\u2019s cord blood, and she was a perfect match for Tommy.<\/p>\n

Within a few weeks, Tommy received his transplant. Four months later, he was in remission.<\/p>\n

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The importance of family cord blood banking<\/span><\/h3>\n

Tommy\u2019s story highlights the importance of family stem cell banking. By choosing to bank your baby\u2019s cord blood stem cells, they will always be ready and waiting should your baby, or another family member, need them.<\/p>\n

Their cord blood stem cells are guaranteed to be their own perfect genetic match. There is also a 25% chance they will be a perfect match for a sibling, and a 50% chance of a partial match. Moreover, they are always a partial match for both parents. This is why it can be so important to bank cord blood for every baby in the family, rather than just one.<\/p>\n

Stem cells are being heavily investigated in the field of regenerative medicine to treat a wide variety of illnesses and injuries that are currently considered incurable. There are over 7500 clinical trials currently investigating \u00a0both autologous (a patient\u2019s own stem cells) and allogeneic (donor stem cells) uses of stem cells, in the hopes of developing new therapies.<\/p>\n

These therapies aim to take advantage of the regenerative qualities of stem cells to aid in healing injuries such as spinal cord damage, heart disease, brain injury, arthritis and type 1 diabetes.<\/p>\n

By saving your baby\u2019s cord blood stem cells, you can give your baby and family a better chance of accessing these therapies, should they need one in the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would strongly recommend that if you\u2019re thinking about getting cord blood collected, do it!\u201d says Tommy\u2019s mum, Kylie. \u201cIf it can change a life in such a huge way, why would you not?\u201d[5]<\/a><\/p>\n

To find out more about how cord blood banking works, and how it could safeguard your family\u2019s health, fill in the form below to request a free info kit.<\/p>\n

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References<\/h3>\n

[1] Gannon, G. (2025).\u00a0Aria was a miracle stem cell transplant donor for her brother<\/i>. The Australian Women\u2019s Weekly. https:\/\/www.womensweekly.com.au\/news\/real-life\/stem-cell-transplant-donor\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

[2] St. Jude Care & Treatment. Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia Treatment<\/i>. https:\/\/www.stjude.org\/care-treatment\/treatment\/childhood-cancer\/leukemia-lymphoma\/juvenile-myelomonocytic-leukemia-jmml.html<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

[3] Lls.org. JMML treatment outcomes.<\/i> https:\/\/www.lls.org\/leukemia\/juvenile-myelomonocytic-leukemia\/treatment\/treatment-outcomes<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

[4] Anthony Nolan. Haploidentical stem cell transplants<\/i>. https:\/\/www.anthonynolan.org\/patients-and-families\/understanding-stem-cell-transplants\/haploidentical-stem-cell-transplants<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

[5] The Project (2024).\u00a0Baby Girl\u2019s Stem Cells Save Big Brother\u2019s Life<\/i>. YouTube. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JHwWgqEu_Hs<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ module_class=”down-arrow” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_color=”#bd144f” custom_padding=”0px|||” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”RWP” module_id=”request-welcome-pack” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_layout=”dark” use_border_color=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]\n

FIND OUT MORE, REQUEST YOUR FREE INFO KIT TODAY<\/h3>\n

All you need to know to make an informed decision.<\/p>\n

Provide your contact details to request:<\/p>\n

– Complete Info Kit and your Guide to Cord Blood Banking
– Information via email
– Contact from our specialist advisors<\/p>\n

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