THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 18, 1997 TAG: 9701180529
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DEBRA GORDON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 52 lines
Hannah Gosey, the 5-month-old Portsmouth girl whose need for a bone-marrow transplant captured the attention of hundreds of Hampton Roads residents, may be helped by another type of transplant instead, her mother said Friday.
Hannah, who suffers from a rare genetic defect called Hurler's Syndrome, was at Duke Medical Center in Durham this week undergoing preliminary testing for the bone-marrow transplant when her parents learned that no match was found in a search of the national bone-marrow registry.
More than 800 area residents turned out earlier this month to have their blood tested and names added to the registry in the hope of improving Hannah's chances of a match.
Hannah's body doesn't make the enzyme necessary to rid her body of certain sugar molecules. They build up in her cells, causing progressive damage to her brain and other organs.
By age 10, she would be severely mentally retarded and unable to walk.
Because time is of the essence in treating Hannah, Kim Gosey said, doctors at Duke decided that a fetal cord blood transplant might be another option.
Umbilical-cord blood is rich in stem cells, rare and elusive cells that give rise to the entire immune system. In adults, the stem cells are found only deep within the bone marrow, and thus are more difficult to obtain than the ones circulating within the umbilical-cord blood.
While the use of fetal cord blood is more experimental, studies show it is easier to transplant and results in fewer side effects. Additionally, matches do not have to be as precise as required with bone marrow. ``This is a backup,'' said Kim Gosey. ``But they want to go on with it to prevent any further delays.''
On Thursday, Hannah had two tubes inserted into her chest, through which she will receive medications and the eventual fetal cord transplant. During the procedure, doctors discovered that she has a deformity of her palate, the roof of her mouth, which interferes with her breathing. They will probably have to operate to correct it, Gosey said, before beginning any transplants.
``I just want to say how grateful we are to the people in the area who came out to help Hannah,'' she said by phone Friday. ``I don't want them to think that just because we weren't able to find a match, they shouldn't continue to join the registry. There are still 35 other people in Hampton roads waiting for a bone-marrow transplant.''
If all goes well, Gosey said, doctors should begin the fetal cord transplant procedure within the next three or four weeks. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Five-month-old Portsmouth girl Hannah Gosey might get a fetal cord
blood transplant.
KEYWORDS: FETAL CORD TRANSPLANT BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT