Bone Marrow Transplant Cures Queens Girl of Sickle Cell Anemia

Hunter Haymore, 14, is one step closer to realizing her dream of becoming a nurse. After completing the procedure that left her free of sickle cell anemia, Hunter reported that she “wanted to be the one to give children their injections, because she knows hot it feels.”

At a news conference Thursday at Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York, Hunter’s parents, Donna Haymore and Eric Berry, said their lives have changed dramatically since Hunter was transplanted earlier this year. “I feel like we’re getting a second chance,” said an emotional Ms. Haymore. “Now, sickle cell anemia will no longer control our lives.”

Sickle cell anemia, an inherited blood disorder seen primarily in people of African and Mediterranean descent, is often associated with episodes of severe bone pain caused by abnormally shaped red blood cells lodged in small blood vessels within the bones. Over time, sickle cell anemia often results in serious complications that can affect vital organs, such as the brain and lungs, and has significant negative impact on patients’ overall lifespan.

The first successful bone marrow transplant for the treatment of sickle cell anemia was reported in 1984. Since then, many patients with the disease have undergone successful transplantation from compatible siblings, with the latest series reporting an 85-90 percent success rate.

In 2010, the Stem Cell Transplantation Program at Cohen Children’s Medical Center (CCMC) was approved as a participating center in a National Institute of Health (NIH) Blood and Marrow Transplantation Clinical Trials Network. On December 27, 2010, Hunter was admitted to the hospital to await her transplant from an unrelated donor. Her transplant took place in January, and she is now living at home with her parents. Hunter is the first patient at CCMC to participate in an unrelated bone marrow transplant for sickle cell disease.

Joel Brochstein, MD, associate chief of cellular therapy at CCMC, emphasized the fact that bone marrow donation is a simple painless procedure. “Thanks to one anonomous donor, Hunter’s story is a very happy one,” he said. To become a bone marrow donor, go to: www.marrow.org or call CCMC’s Division of Hematology/Oncology and Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation at: 718-470-3460.

To see video from Thursday’s news conference, go to:  Watch this story.