Stories of Hope

JJ

If you met JJ today, you’d never imagine he’s been anything but a typical active little boy. But his first year was anything but typical. Soon after he was born, JJ was diagnosed with severe congenital neutropenia. Hospitalized frequently with weekly blood work and increasing dosages of Neupogen, doctors urged his parents to consider transplant.

Because of JJ’s mixed ethnicity, his parents were told it might take a while to find his donor match. Danielle hosted an event to encourage more people to join the Be The Match Registry®. Amazingly, they received a call about a month later that his match had been found.

JJ’s transplant went so well that he was discharged after just seven weeks, rather than the expected 8-10 weeks. A grant from Be The Match® helped cover some of the family’s expenses like transportation to and from the hospital, meals, and parking.

When asked what he wants to be when he grows up, JJ replies, “I want to be a policeman like Uncle Ryan.” But that answer changes. And for a healthy active three-year-old, that’s definitely typical.



