1 Year Old Receives Cord Blood Transplant For Rare Disease

Winslet Seoighe suffers from a blood disease so rare that her doctors named the condition after her. The 18-month-old fails to make her own; her body produces red blood cells in her bone marrow but they are not released into her blood stream as she needs them.

Although doctors were completely stumped by the discovery of this new condition, it was decided that the Winslet would have to undergo a stem cell transplant. Otherwise, she would have to receive blood transfusions every month. She was lucky enough to find a cord blood donor within days, whereas most patients in need of a transplant are usually on the list for weeks and months.

Doctors noted that the mortality rate for the procedure was close to 15%. Her family made a brave decision to go through with the cord blood transplant and it seems that the difficult choice paid off. It has now been six weeks since Winslet received her cord blood transplant and she is showing positive signs.

After spending her whole life in the hospital Winslet can now go home to be with her family. She is only required to visit her doctor three times a week, and her family has a positive outlook for her future.