Eliana's Severe Aplastic Anemia
Donation protected
On January 16 2013 the words Serve Aplastic Anemia and Leukemia were brought into my best friend's world. There was a moment of relief, when the doctor came back with Eliana’s bone biopsy ruling out Leukemia. Eliana is Jenn's 1 and 1/2 year old daughter.
She thought it was a sign of hope, but little did she know Serve Aplastic Anemia is a life-threatening disease.
What is SAA? A very rare blood disorder disease in which the bone marrow does not make enough blood cells for the body. The disease only effects 1 person per million. The blood cells the body needs are: red blood cells (to carry oxygen), white blood cells (to fight infection), and platelets (to control bleeding, internal organs and externally).
Eliana has had multiple transfusions, central lines, and bone marrow biopsies. Currently she is going through Immunosuppressant therapy (which suppresses the activity of immune cells that are damaging her bone marrow. This helps your bone marrow recover and generate new blood cells.), because this is a standard treatment for those who don’t have a sibling or bone marrow match this is what we’ve been doing for over a 1yr ½ now. (Eliana is now 3 years old.)
Today, the only cure for this disease is a bone marrow transplant. Because of Eliana's ethnicity a donor is very rare and almost impossible. Jenn plans to go through IVF treatment (in vitro) to create a “savior sibling” for Eliana. Thus, we are hoping friends and family or anyone that has been effected with a life threatening disease could help with the expenses.
She thought it was a sign of hope, but little did she know Serve Aplastic Anemia is a life-threatening disease.
What is SAA? A very rare blood disorder disease in which the bone marrow does not make enough blood cells for the body. The disease only effects 1 person per million. The blood cells the body needs are: red blood cells (to carry oxygen), white blood cells (to fight infection), and platelets (to control bleeding, internal organs and externally).
Eliana has had multiple transfusions, central lines, and bone marrow biopsies. Currently she is going through Immunosuppressant therapy (which suppresses the activity of immune cells that are damaging her bone marrow. This helps your bone marrow recover and generate new blood cells.), because this is a standard treatment for those who don’t have a sibling or bone marrow match this is what we’ve been doing for over a 1yr ½ now. (Eliana is now 3 years old.)
Today, the only cure for this disease is a bone marrow transplant. Because of Eliana's ethnicity a donor is very rare and almost impossible. Jenn plans to go through IVF treatment (in vitro) to create a “savior sibling” for Eliana. Thus, we are hoping friends and family or anyone that has been effected with a life threatening disease could help with the expenses.
Organizer and beneficiary
Ashley Matusky
Organizer
Canonsburg, PA
Jennifer Smith
Beneficiary