Your donation can give someone another birthday, another Christmas, more years with family.

 

When Kearston Albert was first diagnosed with leukemia she was just three and a half years old. She and her family have now fought that battle for nine years through three relapses, two clinical trials and a failed bone marrow transplant, and their battle isn’t over yet.

The seriousness of Kearston’s diagnosis was not initially understood but when her doctors began to study her bone marrow they discovered a rare genetic cell that is virtually immune to chemotherapy. She went into remission in December, 2014, then relapsed in July of 2015. Her doctors scheduled Kearston for a bone marrow transplant but, in order to qualify, she needed to be in remission which required three more rounds of chemo.

The first step in moving forward with the bone marrow transplant was to find a donor so the family started by testing Kearston’s siblings. To their delight and relief her oldest sister Robin was a perfect match meeting all criteria.

Kearston’s body was weak and tired from her previous treatment and the unrelenting attack from the disease but she was scheduled for three chemo treatments to prepare her for the bone marrow transplant. After the first round she ended up in the pediatric intensive care unit with a serious infection. Her doctors were not sure she would pull through but she did. The transplant was eventually completed but, unfortunately, the bone graft failed.

When her parents are asked about the number of blood and platelet donations that Kearston received during her treatment they say simply too many to count. Those donated blood products played a critical role in keeping her strong to fight this battle that is still ongoing.

New treatments are being explored by Kearston’s doctors and she is a fighter. As of today, she is feeling great and resuming the normal activities of a child her age. Her parents Sheri and Michael tell their friends and supporters miracles do happen and we pray this one continues.

“Our family is so grateful to the blood and platelet donors who made time in their busy lives to share their good health with strangers they will never even meet,” said Sheri Albert. “Our family has had nine years together because of their generosity. I don’t believe that people think about blood or platelet donations unless they need them but I would encourage everyone reading this to think about making donating part of their lives. You never know when you, or a loved one, is going to need a transfusion and we should all do everything we can to make sure blood is always on the shelf whenever it is needed!”