Keegan Doheney
Oak Park, CA
Disease: Leukemia
Transplant facility: Kaiser Permanente - Los Angeles, CA

"Your son has leukemia."

It's hard enough to hear this diagnosis once, but Wendy Doheney had to hear these awful words twice.

The first time was when her son Keegan was just two. Doctors were able to get his leukemia into remission and the Doheneys were cautiously optimistic.

The second time was three years later. "Keegan was in school, in kindergarten, and I was at home, " Wendy remembers. "And I just got this feeling that something was wrong. I called Keegan's doctor and I think she thought I was nuts - there was nothing outwardly wrong with him. But I just knew. "

Unfortunately, Wendy Doheney's instincts proved correct and Keegan's leukemia had indeed come back. Fortunately, there was a ray of hope: the Doheneys had banked the umbilical cord blood stem cells of Keegan's younger brother Keldan. If the boys were a match, doctors could use the stem cells to treat Keegan.

"We were so relieved that we had saved Keldan's stem cells," Wendy recalls. "When I was pregnant, another parent had told us about cord blood and all the wonderful things that were being done with it. We looked into it and once we saw the potential, we knew we wanted the peace of mind that banking would give us."

The good news came quickly: the boys were a match. Doctors performed the transplant and Keegan has now been healthy for nine years and counting. A stellar athlete and straight A student, Keegan has a special bond with his little brother Keldan.

"There's always laughter whenever they're together," Wendy says. "People always comment on how close they are." Keegan has a simpler take on the matter. "My little brother saved my life," he notes. "If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here."

Titus Chang
Stockton, CA
Disease: Aplastic Anemia
Transplant facility: University of California Davis Medical Center - Sacramento, CA

Titus was diagnosed with aplastic anemia at 18 months of age and was immediately put on medication to sustain his damaged immune system. The birth of a second child provided a perfect stem cell match and immediate access to related stem cells, and eliminated the need to obtain bone marrow or peripheral blood. The newborn's cord blood was collected and stored at no cost through a public service program provided by a family cord blood bank.

Several rounds of chemotherapy were administered prior to infusing the patient with his sibling's newborn stem cells.

One year after the cord blood transplant, physicians pronounced him cured of aplastic anemia.

Joseph Davis Jr.
Cedar Hill, Texas
Disease: Sickle Cell Anemia
Transplant facility - Medical City, Dallas, TX

Joseph was a four-year-old African American male diagnosed at birth with a severe case of sickle cell anemia. His symptoms included high fevers, swollen hands and feet. He required frequent blood transfusions.

Physicians recommended a stem cell transplant, leading the family into a year-long unsuccessful search for a stem cell donor in the public supply. An unplanned pregnancy eventually provided a perfect newborn stem cell match. The infant's cord blood was collected and stored free of charge through a free program provided by a leading family cord blood bank.

The child underwent high doses of chemotherapy before being infused with donor cells from his sibling. Using related stem cells resulted in a swift recovery with minimal side effects. He no longer suffers from any of his previous symptoms.

His physicians have pronounced him cured of sickle cell anemia.

Brandyn Orr
Mesa, AZ
Disease: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Transplant facility - University Medical Center, Tucson, AZ

At age two, Brandyn was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Three years of intense chemotherapy put the disease into remission. At age five he suffered a relapse, and physicians recommended he undergo a stem cell transplant as soon as possible.

The child underwent intense chemotherapy and radiation to his head and spine prior to undergoing a cord blood transplant. The perfectly matched donor cells came from a four-month-old sibling. Matching familial stem cells resulted in minimal graft vs. host disease and low transplant complications.

After careful and consistent follow up for five years, the child is now considered cured of leukemia.