Benzene Leukemia Law Blog : Benzene and Leukemia Lawyer & Attorney : Burke & Eisner Law Firm : Benzene Exposure, Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma

Aplastic Anemia is a rare and debilitating hematological (blood) disorder that can be caused by exposure to benzene, a known carcinogen. Though life threatening, if detected early, the disease can be managed and even cured. The following article from aplasticamemiasite.com is a useful resource for those seeking a comprehensive overview of aplastic anemia treatment options.

Aplastic Anemia being a rare disease has led to many deaths mostly due to lack of early diagnosis. However, if the symptoms of the disease are discovered early enough, it is possible to either control or cure the disease completely. Just like any other disease, the severity of the condition determines the type of treatment to be undertaken. Cases of Aplastic Anemia could be severe, mild or moderate. Severe Aplastic Anemia requires that the patient be hospitalized for specialized treatment because it is life-threatening. In the initial stages of treatment, the patient may have to undergo blood transfusion as he or she awaits treatment. Different methods of treating Aplastic Anemia are available although the most commonly known standard methods are blood transfusion, bone marrow transplant and immunosuppressive therapy. These treatments can either be used with an aim of managing the disease for a considerable time or to completely cure the disease.

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A Chance to Save A Life

For those suffering from blood disorders caused by benzene exposure, such as aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, and acute myelogenous leukemia, bone marrow stem cell transplants can be a life saving therapy. May is National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) month, is a great time to consider a life saving marrow donation. For the entire month the usual $52 fee for eligibility testing through the NMDP will be waived.  

Modern Marrow Donation

Patients in need of bone marrow transplants require the living stem cells found in healthy bone marrow. While bone marrow transplants of yesteryear involve minor surgery to remove marrow from the hip bones of a donor, today's procedure is far less invasive. The current method, peripheral blood stem cell donation, involves a shot which draws some of the needed stem cells out of the marrow and into the blood. The stem cells are then filtered from the blood. Though the procedure no longer involves actual bone marrow, most still call it a bone marrow donation.

Matching

The most likely match for a successful bone marrow stem cell transplant is a full brother or sister of the recipient.  Other family members, or even complete strangers may be a match.  The NMDP has a database of volunteers willing to donate their bone marrow to strangers. 

For more information on becoming a bone marrow stem cell donor visit the National Marrow Donor  Program website at: www.marrow.org/.

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An 18-year-old boy living in Napa Valley, California, had extra reason to be thankful this Thanksgiving. After a three month stay at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Grant Beltrami recently received news that he is finally responding to the treatment he’s being given for aplastic anemia.

Stem cells have been donated to Beltrami as part of the advanced bone marrow treatment that is being given to him for this blood condition. Doctors reportedly found a bone marrow match for Beltrami from an anonymous woman living in Germany. And for the first time in more that a decade, Grant will begin to produce healthy blood. Although doctors say that he’s not cured, the signs are promising for his recovery.

“This is all pretty significant for us,” says Wendy Beltrami, Grant’s mother. “We’re feeling a lot of thanks for what is finally coming to an end.”

Boy Hopes to Return Home

According to reports, if Grant continues to make progress and his aplastic anemia begins regressing, he could be transferred out of the hospital by Christmas. They also claim that he may even get to move into the Ronald McDonald House with his parents while he continues to receive treatment. Doctors will continue to closely monitor Beltrami to ensure that his immune system doesn’t reject the new marrow at any point.

Unfortunately due to his aplastic anemia, which is a blood disorder that could prove to be fatal, Grant is missing his senior year at Napa High School. However, the Beltrami’s, did get to share a turkey feast for Thanksgiving that was put on by Ronald McDonald supporters.




 

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A boy living in Victorville, California, recently had to change his focus from attending Victor Valley High School and playing football and basketball to receiving treatments for his newly developed aplastic anemia.

Ryan Acevedo Jr., was reportedly diagnosed with aplastic anemia on July 25, just weeks before he was to start school at Victor Valley as a freshman. Aplastic anemia is a condition that causes bone marrow to stop producing enough new blood cells in order to ward off infection and carry enough oxygen from the lungs into other parts of the body.

Aplastic Anemia Details

Although the condition is rare, Ryan is one of less than 1,000 people diagnosed with aplastic anemia in the U.S. yearly, it still can be a life altering one since the exact causes of the illness aren’t always known.

“He has days where he talks about not wanting to live,” explains his mother, Pearl Osuna, 31. But she tells him, “That’s not going to happen.”

Ryan is currently being treated at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County for blood and platelet transfusions. Since his diagnosis, he’s been hospitalized five times due to complications or for other procedures, including one session of chemotherapy, which is a common treatment for aplastic anemia.

Doctors say that they don’t believe Ryan always has a realistic grasp of what he is facing and simply states: “It sucks.” Though he does always have a positive attitude and remains mentally strong. Staying strong is something doctors say is important in these circumstances considering Ryan has already gained 30 pounds from taking steroids for the condition. And when he tries to play sports he can only last a few minutes before he has to return home due to the lack of oxygen being carried through his body by his red blood cells. He has also been home schooled since discovering his condition.

However, Ryan and his family will not give up and are now in the process of feverishly looking for the right donor match for Ryan to receive a bone marrow transplant.

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A student from Charleston recently spent a somewhat frustrating and painful month indoors due to his severe aplastic anemia. Rob Willis is being treated at the Duke University Medical Center and can not so much as step outside or go into the sun due to his condition.

Willis is a senior at Capital High School and after two very intensive chemotherapy treatments is living day to day with severe aplastic anemia. Aplastic anemia is a group of diseases that effect the bone marrow and blood cells in the body. Although chemotherapy is a common treatment for the illness, in more severe cases, such as with Willis, the treatment doesn't always help.

However, after his time spent inside, doctors prepped Willis to receive a bone marrow transplant hoping that it would be the treatment that would return him to health. And they were right.  

Patient Receives Support from Friends and Family

Since his surgery, Willis has been on the road to recovery from his severe aplastic anemia and was recently crowned homecoming king by his peers.

"It was a great honor. It really showed how much everybody was supporting me," says Willis. "It made me feel a lot less distanced than I had to be. It's unimaginable how many people have taken notice of what has happened and been there."

Every year thousands of people are diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia and Willis is now devoted to educating people more about the illness and how they can lend a helping hand to those who are living with it.

What Caused His Severe Aplastic Anemia?

 In many cases, doctors are unsure as to what caused the patient to develop severe aplastic anemia. In Willis' case it was undetermined though his mother, Becky, says it was discovered when an ankle injury from soccer continued to plague Willis. Continuing infection and bleeding are two major signs of aplastic anemia since it effects the white and red blood cells.

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Garrett has an 8-year-old twin brother, Tanner.  Garrett also has Aplastic Anemia.  Aplastic Anemia is a rare, serious blood disorder in which the normal  production of blood cells - red, white and platelets - slows or stops.

Garrett is lucky to have an identical twin.  Few who are diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia have a healthy identical  twin  that they can turn to for a bone marrow transplant which can develop a new immune system.

Dr. Emad Salman, the youngster’s hematologist/oncologist at The Children’s Hospital at HealthPark in LeeCounty, has cared for thousands of children with blood disorders and cancer.

He said this is a first in his 11 years at the hospital.

“This is the first time I’ve seen a child who needs a bone marrow transplant who has a twin brother who will be the donor,” he said.

In preparation for the transplant Tanner was given iron pills to boost his red blood cell count and Garrett started chemotherapy to wipe out his immune system and be ready to start a new one.

Researchers are fascinated as to why only one of the twins became sick and not the other.  Tanner spent a few days in the hospital while they did the blood draw.

“It’s going to suck,” Tanner said.

“Because he has to get poked,” Garrett explained about his brother’s blood draw for his bone marrow. “I get one but I’m going to be asleep. Hah.”

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