‘There is hope’: Winston-Salem daughter’s stem cell donation offers rare perfect match in father’s cancer diagnosis
By Kelly Kendall
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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WXII) — Dean Hines, diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, found hope in a rare stem cell match with his daughter, Abby Bond, at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center.
“I was diagnosed on September 23rd,” Hines said, recalling the day that changed his life. He was enjoying retirement in Wilmington, traveling with his wife and spending time with his family, when he received the frightening diagnosis.
“Anytime you hear the word ‘cancer,’ fear immediately covers you,” Hines said, describing the impact of learning he had a deadly blood and bone marrow cancer that progresses rapidly.
Abby Bond, Hines’ daughter, said, “It was shocking. I mean, he was the picture of health just 2 to 3 weeks prior, and things just happened so suddenly.”
The family wasn’t sure how much time they had left with Hines, but the situation changed when his children had their stem cells tested, and Abby was found to be a perfect match for her father.
Dr. James Dugan, transplant and cellular therapy lead at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center, explained the rarity of such a match.
“The likelihood of this occurring in the general population is probably 1 in 1000, if not less,” Dugan said.
Doctors often turn to family members for stem cell donations because of shared genetics. Most of the time, children will have a 50% match to one of their parents’ stem cells. However, Abby’s stem cells were a perfect 12 out of 12 match, making them ideal for an allogenic transplant, a procedure that replaces cancer-ridden cells with healthy ones.
“These transplants, when they’re fully matched, are generally a little bit easier,” Dugan said. “The cells recover a little bit faster, and patients are generally, not always the case, but generally healthier and more well sooner to get out of the hospital.”
Abby said the news of the match came as a surprise, one she wanted to save for a special occasion for her dad.
“I was so shocked when I got the call initially that I had been matched, and we kept it a secret for 2 to 3 weeks and were able to surprise them at Christmas,” she said. “Just a perfect Christmas gift full of hope and miracle.”
“We’ve known all our life that she and I are a lot alike, but this really just sort of puts everything in capital letters,” Hines said, reflecting on the bond with his daughter.
A month after the transplant, Hines is feeling better each day, though he acknowledges the long road ahead in his fight against leukemia. He remains hopeful.
“There’s a sense of urgency about life to not just coast,” he said. “It means so much to share my story with many, many others that may be doubting hope right now, and that there is hope there for you.”
Stem cell transplants can occur between family members or from unrelated donors, offering life-saving treatment to those in need.
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