A baby with a ‘one in a million’ condition is getting ready to undergo a life-saving transplant.
Parents Rachel Nicholson and Connor Gardner were left heartbroken when they were told that their son Max had aplastic anemia, an extremely rare condition that occurs when the bone marrow and stem cells stop producing new blood cells.
Fortunately, the 27-year-old mother was a near-perfect match and the family can spend the Christmas holiday together before Max’s transplant in January.
He still needs to undergo chemotherapy first and they must isolate for a few months after the surgery to protect him from infections.
“It is phenomenal that I can donate – the chances of me being such a good match are about one percent. It really is just like giving a blood donation,” Rachel from South Tyneside expressed.
“The machine takes your blood through a cannula and separates the white and red blood cells.
“The white is stored, and assessed to ensure they have what they need.”
Just in case the chemo leaves Max infertile, he also had tissue taken and stored.
Connor, 29, also said: “It is to give him the chance to have a family when he is older.
“Rachel is a near-perfect match for the bone marrow transplant, and that is very rare. This condition only affects one in a million.
“So Max is very unfortunate to have it, but also very lucky his mother has been such a good match.”
The father also stressed the importance of donating bone marrow and hopes his son’s story can help raise awareness.
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