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sent by Jon Sole, our Blood Drive Coordinator
PATIENT STORY: Father-daughter duo survives leukemia
The Cryan family story is an inspirational one. It is a story of a father and daughter who survived a long journey with a rare, genetic blood disorder
and leukemia – together – because of blood and bone marrow donors.
Louisa was an active pre-teen and soccer star. Three years ago, she was diagnosed with leukemia, a cancer affecting her bone marrow, at the age of 12. Five months after diagnosis, Louisa received a transplant of healthy stem cells through Puget Sound Blood Center’s Cord Blood Program. Stem cells are the “parent” cells of all blood cells and are found in the bone marrow of adults and the circulatory system of infants. Cord blood stem cells can be used in place of bone marrow stem cells when a donor match cannot be found. The Cord Blood Program works with local hospitals and parents who choose to donate the umbilical cord and placenta containing stem-cell rich blood from the birth of their baby. The stem cells Louisa received replaced her damaged blood cells and reversed her leukemia.
One year after Louisa’s transplant, Sean Cryan was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome, a different type of leukemia. Sean, a local architect and avid bicycle commuter, needed a bone marrow transplant. Bone marrow is a substance inside bones that manufactures blood cells and
contains developed stem cells. While waiting for a bone marrow match, Sean decided to act and help others in need of blood and stem cell therapies.
After learning about an especially strong need for minorities to donate blood and bone marrow, he and Louisa became blood drive coordinators themselves and spearheaded a campaign Photo copyright: Juan Hernandez to educate the community, share their story, and help add diverse donors to the bone marrow registry. Together, they organized a blood and bone marrow drive in Seattle last summer where 44 blood donors and 72 bone marrow registrants came to offer support.
Sean received a bone marrow transplant in October 2012. Like his daughter, Sean’s damaged bone marrow cells were successfully replaced by his donor’s healthy ones. During his treatment, he received 12 units of blood components from Puget Sound Blood Center donors. During Louisa’s treatment, she received a total of 69 units of blood.
Thanks to generous donors, these two are back to focusing on the things they love to do. Two and a half years post-transplant, Louisa enjoys high school and all its opportunities. She recently spent a weekend learning to survive in the Cascade wilderness. Sean continues to recover from his recent transplant and looks forward to a fully recovered immune system soon.
If you are interested in finding out if one of your blood drives could become a blood and bone marrow combination drive, please contact your Donor Representative.
Learn more about our Cord Blood program at www.psbc.org/cordblood.
Learn more about the National Bone Marrow Registry at: www.psbc.org/programs/marrow.htm.