THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, February 4, 1997 TAG: 9702040213
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DEBRA GORDON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 61 lines
Hannah Gosey, the 6-month-old Portsmouth girl whose need for a bone-marrow transplant inspired hundreds of Hampton Roads residents to offer themselves as bone-marrow donors, will receive a fetal-cord blood transplant Friday.
She is at Duke Medical Center in Durham, N.C., undergoing chemotherapy in preparation for Friday's procedure.
She needs the transplant to correct a genetic deficiency called Hurler's syndrome, in which her body doesn't make the enzyme necessary to rid her body of certain molecules. By age 10, she would be severely mentally retarded and physically disabled.
Doctors couldn't find a bone-marrow match for Hannah in the National Bone Marrow Registry, despite the more than 800 Hampton Roads residents who added their names during a January bone-marrow drive.
But they found a match when they scanned available cord-blood tissue frozen at several sites throughout the country.
Cord blood - the blood that remains in the umbilical cord following birth - 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 in transplants is highly experimental, said Dr. Paul Martin, Hannah's physician at Duke, studies show it is easier to transplant and results in fewer side effects than bone marrow transplants.
Another advantage is that fetal cord blood is easier to match, he said.
Doctors still aren't sure why cord blood transplants work so well, Martin said. ``Perhaps because the infant immune system is not fully matured, and still has some ability to adapt itself.''
Martin refused to speculate on Hannah's prognosis. ``She still has a lot of obstacles and hurdles,'' he said.
It will be at least six months to a year before new blood cells grow and stimulate Hannah's body to produce the missing enzyme needed to slow down and prevent further damage from her disease.
In the meantime, Martin noted, she runs the risk of contracting serious infections because of her weakened immune system.
Hannah's mother, Kim Gosey, who is in Durham with her daughter, said Hannah is doing great.
The infant had surgery to correct a deficiency in her soft palate, the fleshy part in the back of the mouth, that was interfering with her breathing.
Even the chemotherapy hasn't seemed to bother her, Kim said.
``She's still her happy, lively self. She's laughing at everybody, kicking and getting spoiled rotten.'' MEMO: Several centers throughout the country, although none is in
Hampton Roads, collect and freeze donated cord blood for use in medical
procedures. There is no charge for the collection or storage. For
details on donating, contact the International Cord Blood Foundation at
(415) 635-1456. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
TAMARA VONINSKI
The Virginian-Pilot
Doctors found a cord-blood match for 6-month-old Hannah Gosey when
they scanned tissue frozen at several sites.