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Grant Berg, an 8 year old boy was diagnosed with aplastic anemia.
The boy needed a bone marrow donor to save his life; this led to an international search for a bone marrow transplant.
The boy was kept alive by receiving multiple blood transfusions over a year and a half period.
Finally after the intensive search they found a German College student that proved a match.
Marvin Zumkley was the student who helped the boy.
Zumkley after meeting the boy whose life he saved said “It was crazy.”
Zumkley was 18 years at the time of bone marrow transplant.
He said, “It was crazy. It was overwhelming, and it was just a good feeling (…) I’ve imagined it so often in my mind and now it is a reality.”
According to Dr Hillard Lazarus, who directs UH Case Medical Center’s novel cell therapy program in Cleveland, aplastic anemia is a rare and serious condition in which the bone marrow stops producing new blood cells. This includes the red blood cells and the white blood cells and platlets.
Red blood cells carry oxygen, white blood cells fight alien bodies like infection and platelets mend blood vessels and stop bleeding.
After staying up well pat his bedtime to meet Zumkley, Grant fell asleep in the car on the ride to home to Temecula, California.
The plan is for Zumkley to relax for few days and visit Disneyland and find other ways to enjoy southern California and to know Grant.
