Leukemia Survivor Credits Cord Blood for Recovery

Zach Butkovich was diagnosed with PH+ Leukemia, one of the deadliest forms of the disease, when he was just three years old. His parents were told to take Zach home and a priest was called in to perform the Last Rites on the child, but two cord blood transplants helped Zach make a remarkable recovery.

According to Zach's oncologist, Dr. Michael Graham, he was not expected to survive. PH+ Leukemia is a rare form of the disease and the prognosis is negative for many of those who are diagnosed.

His doctors decided that a cord blood stem cell transplant may improve his chances of survival. However, a year after his first transplant, he relapsed and required a second transplant. Against the odds, Zach survived a second transplant.
According to Zach's parents, over the years that their son was in the hospital, they saw nearly 20 children not survive their battles with cancer. Zach was fortunate, thanks to the two cord blood transplants he received as well as his positive attitude, he survived the disease. Today, he's 11-years-old and looks back on his struggle with Leukemia as a proud two-time cancer survivor.

http://www.reviewatlas.com/news/x2111989780/Zach-s-story-Beating-the-odds-again-and-again

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