A Carson City teen who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia last year is recovering from a cord blood transplant.
Despite hundreds of people showing up for bone marrow testing on behalf of Cameron Hardy, no match was found. Instead, the 19-year-old received the cord blood transplant at the University of California Davis on Sept. 2.
"Cameron tolerated the procedure quite well, and is doing OK, but still going through pain, nausea and other discomforts," said his mother, Michele Lynn, in an e-mail. "His attitude is positive, and he keeps maintaining that attitude, even when it gets toughest. I am very proud of him."
According to the National Bone Marrow Donor Program, cord blood is harvested from the umbilical cords and placenta immediately after a mother gives birth.
If the treatment is successful, the stem cells from the cord blood will survive in a patient's bone marrow and produce healthy white blood cells.
"Now is the wait and watch time," Lynn said in the e-mail.
She said two donors were used in the procedure.
"They will be watching for Cameron's blood counts to zero out, and when there are signs of blood counts growing again, they will then do testing to see which DNA is growing," Lynn explained. "We want to see one of the DNA from one of the donors to be the prominent DNA, and of course not Cameron's DNA."
As she has before, Lynn thanked those who have supported her and her son throughout the process.
"I do appreciate all of your prayers, support, concern and interest in how we are doing," she wrote. "We couldn't be doing it without you."