Update: Leukemia Patient Responds Well to Cord Blood
Earlier this month, we reported on the story of Jia Jia from Shanghai, an eight-year-old boy with leukemia.(http://www.insception.com/news/leukemia-patient-receives-cord-blood-transplant-sister) He received a cord blood transplant of his sister's cord blood, after experiencing a relapse. At the time, it was too early to tell how successful the transplant was, but an update has revealed that he will go on to experience a full recovery.
According to Shanghai Daily, the young boy's transplant was incredibly successful. Jia Jia has been released from Shanghai Hospital's bioclean treatment unit, a wing specializing in cord blood and stem cell treatment. This is great news for Jia Jia and his family, who, just a month earlier, feared for the survival of their only son.
Jia Jia was diagnosed with leukemia when he was only 5-years-old. After undergoing chemotherapy to keep the disease under control, he was deemed Cancer-free. During this time, his parents had given birth to Jia Jia's baby sister. Although their son had beaten the disease, they banked her cord blood in the unfortunate circumstance that he might relapse. Just over a year later, he did - and his parents are grateful they made the decision to bank their new daughter's cord blood.
Now, Jia Jia will be moved to a regular recovery unit at the Shanghai Hospital. His doctors expect him to make a full recovery, and his family hopes that their son has beaten the disease for good.