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Edit: Thanks to Joe Pojman, the Executive Director for Texas Alliance for Life, for alerting me to this article.
The Dallas Morning News tells the story about Army Spc. Sam Negus, who has donated his bone marrow to help in the treatment of his sister's non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma:
Ruth "Nicki" Young, 26, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in November 2003, but she went into remission last year after months of aggressive treatment. Recent tests, however, have revealed that her white blood cell count is dropping, worrying doctors and her family that cancer might be returning.
A stem cell transplant would bolster Ms. Young's immune system, which would be compromised by the illness and treatment if the cancer reoccurred.
"Our hope and prayers are that we won't need them," said Dr. Brian Berryman, the siblings' physician and director of the stem cell program at Medical City. "But if we do need them, we'll have them."
Spc. Negus' stem cells will be frozen and stored. Although doctors don't often order the procedure so far in advance, it is a technique used if the donor might not be available in the future, Dr. Berryman said.
The idea that this young man is willing to undergo the harvesting of his bone marrow stem cells before he leaves to serve our country in Iraq with the knowledge that he may not be alive to donate the cells when and if his sister needs them is overwhelming.
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