Matching “bone marrow besties for all times” t-shirts symbolize Harper and Kortnie’s additional particular connection.
In 2019, Kortnie saved Harper’s life.
After being recognized with a uncommon sort of blood most cancers on the Hyundai Most cancers Institute at CHOC, three-year-old Harper was in determined want of a bone marrow transplant. Harper’s suppliers discovered Kortnie by means of the Nationwide Marrow Donor Program/Be The Match® volunteer registry.
Due to the skilled, compassionate care from CHOC and beneficiant reward, Harper is now an lively, thriving six-year-old. She’s additionally gained an prolonged member of the family by means of Kortnie — joined collectively by the beneficiant reward of wholesome blood cells.
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) uncommon in kids
In April 2019, three-year-old Harper simply didn’t appear to be herself. Her dad and mom, Stephanie and Travis, seen that she was extra pale than standard, torpid and had been experiencing frequent ear infections — they thought that possibly she had caught the virus that was transferring by means of her preschool class.
With it being after typical enterprise hours for his or her pediatrician’s workplace or pressing care, Stephanie and Harper headed to CHOC at Mission Hospital.
At CHOC Mission, the CHOC staff did some bloodwork and found that Harper had low counts of white blood cells, purple blood cells and platelets. They shortly transferred her to CHOC Hospital in Orange, the place she was admitted to the Josie Y.S. Lee Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). There, the suppliers have been capable of stabilize Harper’s blood counts and commenced operating assessments.
CHOC’s oncology and hematology staff recognized Harper with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a bunch of various bone marrow problems by which the bone marrow doesn’t produce sufficient wholesome blood cells. MDS is uncommon in kids, with one to 4 circumstances per a million kids affected.
CHOC’s Blood and Marrow Transplant Program
On account of Harper’s uncommon situation, Dr. Jamie Frediani, pediatric oncologist at CHOC, beneficial that she obtain a bone marrow transplant. For sufferers with MDS, a bone marrow transplant would substitute their unhealthy blood-forming cells, or blood stem cells, with wholesome ones.
Dr. Rishikesh Chavan, medical director of the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program (BMT) on the Hyundai Most cancers Institute at CHOC, and a staff of skilled oncologists, nurse care coordinators, social staff and youngster life specialists helped information Harper and her household by means of her transplant course of. The Hyundai Most cancers Institute BMT Program is the one pediatric blood and bone marrow transplant program in Orange County and gives a full vary of transplant procedures and providers.
Step one of the BMT course of at CHOC is to find out a bone marrow donor. The donor could also be both a member of the family (associated donor) or an unrelated donor. Associated donors who’re brothers or sisters and share the identical dad and mom have the very best likelihood of being an appropriate donor since they might have inherited the identical tissue sort from their dad and mom.
Harper’s older sister Taylor wasn’t a match for her. So, Harper’s care staff went by means of NMDP/Be The Match® volunteer registry to discover a donor.
About six weeks later, the CHOC staff discovered that Kortnie was a donor match for Harper. They scheduled her bone marrow transplant, which acts very like a blood transfusion, in July 2019. Till then, Harper would endure chemotherapy to kill her unhealthy blood cells and preparation for her transplant. She would additionally obtain a sequence of assessments to ensure she was in the most effective form attainable for her physique to just accept this new, wholesome bone marrow.
Three weeks previous to Harper’s transplant, Dr. Fredani found that Harper had additionally developed acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Due to this, Harper would want extra intense chemotherapy and her transplant wanted would must be pushed again. Fortuitously, Kortnie agreed to postpone her donation for Harper’s new transplant date.
Transplant day or “Rebirthday”
On September 26, 2019, Harper acquired her bone marrow transplant. Her household considers today her “rebirthday,” and so they rejoice it massive yearly. Final yr, Harper had a sloth-themed rebirth occasion full with cupcakes, actions along with her buddies and face timing Kortnie.
Following her transplant, Harper and her household wanted to be remoted in her room at CHOC to guard her new immune system for about 20 days.
Due to the heavy chemotherapy that Harper acquired main as much as her transplant, her immune system could be extraordinarily fragile till her transplanted cells have been engrafted, or traveled by means of the blood to the bone marrow the place they started to make new white blood cells, purple blood cells and platelets. This a part of the transplant course of was essentially the most difficult for Harper’s household due to the uncertainty that they felt.
Stephanie says that CHOC’s BMT staff was nice at explaining what to anticipate all through the engrafting course of; in addition they defined that there might be variables and unwanted side effects starting from pores and skin rashes to liver failure.
“There was a way of concern of the unknown,” says Stephanie. “As a household, they have been making an attempt to keep up a way of normalcy and ensuring Taylor was additionally looped in on what was occurring.”
Probably the most rewarding components of Harper’s most cancers journey, Stephanie says, was watching Harper progress following her transplant. Day-to-day, Harper was feeling higher and turning into the vigorous youngster she as soon as was once more.
The opposite most rewarding half was assembly Harper’s bone marrow donor, Kortnie.
Bone marrow besties for all times
With bone marrow donations from non-related volunteers, each events should comply with disclose who they’re, says Stephanie. The registry requires a yr to go earlier than donors and recipients can contact one another.
Since each Stephanie and Kortnie agreed to reveal who they have been, in October 2020, Stephanie messaged Korntie on social media.
She thanked her for the super reward that she gave Harper and their household. From there, they started corresponding frequently — sharing pictures and messages about their households.
“The gratitude and admiration we’ve for Kortnie is immense,” says Stephanie. “She gave us hope. She saved our daughter.”
Kortnie — a registered nurse, spouse and mother — is from Utah, and she or he joined the Be the Match® registry after seeing an commercial for it. She is enthusiastic about serving to others and hoped she could be a match for somebody.
After some physician’s appointments, blood work, a fast process and an in a single day keep on the hospital, Kortnie’s bone marrow was on its technique to Harper. Kortnie was sore and uncomfortable for every week however thought of it nicely value it.
To anybody contemplating turning into a bone marrow donor, Kortnie says, “Do it. You don’t have anything to lose in addition to some bone marrow that can regenerate. And who is aware of, you would possibly simply get an superior new household and the satisfaction of realizing you saved somebody’s life!”
Adventures forward
In December 2020 on Harper’s birthday, Harper and Kortnie’s households video chatted for the primary time. That they had needed to satisfy in individual, however as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, they postponed their journey. In November 2021, they lastly met in individual right here in Orange County.
Remembering the primary time they met, Stephanie says, “It was similar to a hug. It was like seeing anyone you hadn’t seen for some time. They simply instantly felt like household.”
Kortnie says, “It was superb. To satisfy this excellent little woman in actual life was unimaginable.”
Stephanie says that though Harper is just six, she is a really perceptive youngster.
“Intuitively, I feel Harper understands that Korntie has a particular presence in her life,” says Stephanie. “Kortnie is so light and approachable with Harper, at all times reminding her that she is part of her.”
Stephanie, Travis, Harper and Taylor simply returned from a visit visiting Kortnie and her household in Utah the place they spent 5 days assembly their prolonged household, hanging out and doing actions collectively.
They’re already planning extra future holidays collectively.
Right this moment, Harper is doing nice. She’s a precocious, completely happy first grader that’s taking golf classes, likes to do artwork and performs soccer.
“I do know Harper is aware of that one thing critical occurred that modified her and her household,” says Stephanie. “The silver lining is the connection that we’ve now along with her donor. We’re simply curious to see how this expertise shapes her sooner or later.”
CHOC Hospital was named one of many nation’s greatest kids’s hospitals by U.S. Information & World Report in its 2022-23 Finest Kids’s Hospitals rankings and ranked within the most cancers specialty.
