9-Year-Old Receives 6-Organ Transplant

New England area

Nine-year-old Alannah Shevenell recently received a 6-organ transplant. The little girl received a new small intestine, stomach, pancreas, liver, spleen, and part of an esophagus. In doing so, she set a New England-area record for the most organs transplanted at one time.

Alannah's record-setting transplant was necessary, because a rare cancerous growth called an inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor had spread it's tentacles throughout her abdomen. The tumor caused swelling, pain, and an inability to eat. Alannah's doctors made two failed surgical attempts to remove the huge tumor. Chemotherapy had failed to rid Allanah of the monster, also. Her only hope for survival was to remove the tumor and all the organs and tissues it had wrapped itself around.

Alanah spent a year waiting on the needed transplant which doctors only gave her a 50% chance of surviving. However, she survived the surgery, despite its complexity, and the great blood loss that went with it. She is now doing well and learning how to adjust to her new routines, such as avoiding crowds and taking numerous medications. After spending three months in the hospital recovering from her transplant surgery, Alannah's just fine with all the adjustments saying that she's happy, "Just being home."

For more information about organ and tissue donation, including how to register as an organ and tissue donor in your area, please visit the Tennessee Organ Donation Foundation's website at https://www.SaveLivesTN.org/ by clicking here.

Read more - today.com article titled "Maine Girl Bouncing Back After 6-Organ Transplant"

A Special Christmas

Doctors at Emory University Hospital recently achieved a first for a hospital based in Georgia - a triple organ transplant. In doing so, they gave 38-year-old Stephanie Lindstrom an opportunity to spend another Christmas with her family.

Diagram of the human heart 1. Superior Vena Cava 2. Pulmonary Artery 3. Pulmonary Vein 4. Mitral Valve 5. Aortic Valve 6. Left Ventricle 7. Right Ventricle 8. Left Atrium 9. Right Atrium 10. Aorta 11. Pulmonary Valve 12. Tricuspid Valve 13. Inferior Vena Cava (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Stephanie was born with a congenital heart defect. Her heart did not have a tricuspid valve, which keeps blood moving through the heart in the right direction. As a girl, she had four surgeries to correct the problem. Then, after college, she developed an additional heart valve problem - mitral valve regurgitation. Doctors determined that the mitral valve problem needed to be corrected, too.

Stephanie's multiple heart surgeries had failed to correct her heart problems. It was determined that she needed not only a heart transplant, but also a liver transplant, because her heart failure had caused liver failure. On top of that, Stephanie had become septic which resulted in kidney damage and the need for a kidney transplant.

Stephanie received the life-saving heart and liver transplants she needed on July 7, 2012 and her kidney transplant the next day. After spending three months in the hospital, she went home in October and spent a special Christmas with her family. She said, "The holiday season has truly taken on such a special meaning to my family and me this year because of the many gifts we have been given."

Interestingly, Stephanie's new heart, liver, and kidney all came from the same donor who is a hero that The Lindstrom Family will be forever grateful to. For more information about organ and tissue donation, including how to register as an organ and tissue donor where you live, please visit the Tennessee Organ Donation Foundation, Inc.'s website by clicking here.

Read more : article on news.emory.edu titled "Emory Performs First Triple Organ Transplant in Georgia"

DJ Helps Co-Worker

We ran across this story of a L.A. disc jockey who recently became a living kidney donor for a co-worker. It is powerful and moving and is a great example of how important living donors are. Please watch the wonderful video embedded below. You can also watch it here.

 

For more information about organ and tissue donation, please visit our website by clicking here.

Read more : article on www.cbsnews.com titled "L.A. DJ Donates Kidney to Co-worker"

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New Hope for Those with Sickle Cell Anemia

Currently, about 100,000 Americans suffer from sickle cell anemia. The disease is a genetic disorder that interferes with normal function of hemoglobin molecules in the blood which are responsible for transporting oxygen within red blood cells. The disease's interference with this process leads to the red blood cells stiffening and deforming into the shape of a sickle.

English: Sickle cells characterize sickle cell anemia, an autosomal recessive genetic disorder. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Typically, as the disease worsens, it's effect on its victims does, too. The victim will experience severe pain and other complications, including blood clots, strokes, and kidney and other organ failures leading ultimately to death. Many sickle cell sufferers do not live past the age of 50. Fortunately, some people suffering from the disease are able to be helped by fully-matched bone marrow transplants. The problem is that few patients have access to fully matched donors.

Recently, a team of researchers at John Hopkins conducted a study which revealed a potentially new, and promising, treatment for sickle cell anemia - "half-match" (or partial match) bone marrow transplants. In the study, 3 sickle cell patients received full-matched bone marrow transplants and 14 received half-match bone marrow transplants. The ages of the patients ranged from 15-46 years old. The results showed that 11 of the 17 bone marrow transplants were successful. The most exciting part was that 8 of those 11 were half-matched transplants.

Since the success rate was just a little over 50%, the researchers encourage sickle cell anemia patients to proceed with caution before undergoing a half-matched bone marrow transplant, as it is a major surgery. However, the good news is that for those suffering from the disease another option may be available to them in the future.

For more information about organ and tissue donation, including how to register as a donor, please visit the Tennessee Organ Donation Foundation, Inc.'s website at www.SaveLivesTN.org by clicking here.

Read more : article on www.USNews.com titled " 'Half-Match' Marrow Transplants Help Some with Sickle Cell"

Related articles

• 'Half-match' bone marrow transplants wipe out sickle cell disease in selected patients (medicalxpress.com)
• 'Half-Match' Marrow Transplants Help Some With Sickle Cell (news.health.com)
• Sickle Cell Anemia Awareness Month: Advice and books on healthy eating for sickle cell anemia sufferers (thegrio.com)