Teen beats deadly blood cancer with sister’s life-saving bone marrow donation

A 15yearold boyrsquos battle with a deadly form of blood cancer is a tale of remarkable courage medical triumph and the unbreakable bond between siblings Diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia ALL earlier this year the teen survived one of the most aggressive cancers thanks to the lifesaving bone marrow donation of his 11yearold sisterIn February 2025 the boy whose identity is being withheld for privacy first developed a high fever that refused to subside A routine blood test revealed an abnormally high white blood cell count mdash a red flag for doctors Though he was initially treated with antibiotics his condition did not improve A subsequent blood smear showed abnormal cells prompting a bone marrow testThe results were devastating 45 per cent of his bone marrow cells were cancerous confirming a diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia a rapidly progressing form of blood cancer that demands urgent treatment ldquoIt was a medical emergencyrdquo recalled Dr Balkrishna Patade director haematology haematooncology BMT and colead of cellular therapies Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital ldquoALL in teenagers can be aggressive and early treatment and bone marrow transplant are the only way to save a liferdquoDoctors harvested healthy stem cells from the sisterrsquos bone marrow and infused them into her brotherrsquos bloodstream Representation PiciStockThe diagnosis turned the familyrsquos world upside down Within days he was admitted and began intensive chemotherapy The sessions were harsh mdash nausea fatigue hair loss and weeks of isolation mdash but the young boy rarely complained ldquoHe kept smiling through the painrdquo said the doctor ldquoEven when he could barely eat or stand he would ask if others were okayrdquoBrief reliefAfter the first cycle of chemotherapy the family received the news they had been praying for mdash his bone marrow showed no detectable leukaemia cells The doctors called it a remission and the plan was to continue chemotherapy for maintenanceBut just as the family began to breathe again the unthinkable happened Within three months the cancer returned mdash this time more aggressive ldquoRelapse during treatment is one of the toughest things to hearrdquo said Dr Patade ldquoIt meant that standard chemotherapy was no longer enough The only chance of a cure was a bone marrow transplantrdquoBefore the transplant doctors decided to try Blinatumomab an advanced immunotherapy drug that uses the bodyrsquos immune system to attack cancer cells The boy responded remarkably well mdash within one cycle he once again achieved complete remission But this was only half the battle For a lasting cure he needed a stem cell transplant mdash and for that a compatible donor The family anxiously awaited the results of HLA typing a test to find genetic matches among relativesThe donorThen came the miracle His sister was found to be a complete match Without hesitation she volunteered to donate her bone marrow ldquoShe was determined She told us lsquoTake whatever you need to make my brother betterrsquordquo said the doctorThe transplant was carried out soon after Doctors harvested healthy stem cells from the sisterrsquos bone marrow and infused them into her brotherrsquos bloodstream The next few weeks were critical mdash the transplanted cells had to ldquoengraftrdquo and start producing healthy blood cells During this time the boy battled infections fevers and long stretches of isolationldquoMost adults struggle through this phaserdquo said the transplant specialist ldquoBut this young man showed extraordinary mental strength He faced everything mdash the pain the fear the endless hospital days mdash with a smilerdquo Weeks later the long wait ended in relief His blood counts began to rise mdash a sign that the new bone marrow had successfully engrafted The doctors declared the transplant a successToday 140 days after the procedure the teenager is healthier While regular followups will continue doctors say his prognosis is excellent ldquoHe has beaten one of the toughest cancers known to childrenrdquo said Dr Patade ldquoThis was a perfect combination of medical science timely intervention and family courage We are also trying to gradually reduce his medicationrdquoFor the family the journey has been lifechanging ldquoWe learned the meaning of faith hope and loverdquo said his father ldquoOur daughter gave her brother a second life We will never forget what she did Organ and body donation can save lives We had just heard about it But this time after experiencing it I would request each citizen to consider becoming a donorrdquo said the father a civil services officerSister safeDr Patade explained ldquoThere are just five per cent cases in the world where there is a relapse in such cases We have not seen any so far And seeing that the boy has been doing well even after 140 days it clearly shows that the body has accepted the transplant and that the cells have been adapted by the blood very well Otherwise the body would have signalled He is recovering well and will surely have a bright future ahead In the case of his sister she just needed a days admission to extract stem cells from her blood It wasnrsquot an invasive medical process so she did not have any pain and will not have any future health issues specifically because of thisrdquo