ATLANTA — A 6-year-old Georgia boy has been battling sickle cell anemia since birth, and now his 5-year-old sister is coming to his rescue.
Adedunmade, known affectionately as Ade, was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia type SS, which is the most severe form of the disease, at birth.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes sickle cell anemia as red blood cell disease. It causes the red blood cells to grow and become sticky and misshaped, meaning they can clog blood vessels throughout the body. The sickle cells also die quickly, leaving the patient with a constant shortage of red blood cells.
Sickle cell can cause chronic pain, blood clots, liver problems and more.
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In just the last year, Ade has been hospitalized four times due to an enlarged spleen, which is one of the complications of the disease. Because of that, Ade has had to have monthly infusions.
The CDC says that the only treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration that could possibly cure sickle cell anemia is a bone marrow transplant.
Luckily for Ade, his sister is a match to donate bone marrow to him.
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Earlier this week, Ade’s sister went into the hospital to begin preparations for the harvesting procedure. On Thursday, Ade received his bone marrow transplant.
Ade’s mother, Hallimat Odenina, says that the procedure, treatment and recovery will take a year to complete.
The family has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help raise money to offset some of Ade’s medical bills.
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