by Kandiss Edwards
March 25, 2026
Identified with Sickle Cell Illness (SCD) at simply two months previous, her life was outlined by “ache crises”
For over 20 years, Tatyana Thompson lived in a state of fixed organic warfare attributable to a sickle-cell prognosis at beginning. At Johns Hopkins, she discovered a remedy.
Identified with Sickle Cell Illness (SCD) at simply two months previous, her life was outlined by “ache crises” so extreme she described the feeling as having shards of glass or jagged rocks speeding by her veins. Even on her finest days, she lived with a baseline ache stage of 5 out of 10. This cycle of exhaustion and hospitalization lastly got here to an finish at Johns Hopkins Hospital by a revolutionary bone marrow transplant.
Thompson spoke to In the present day about what led her to hunt out the brand new therapy: household. She discovered herself unable to interact along with her younger son as a result of ache attributable to sickle cell illness. At her wits’ finish, she declared that the potential for reduction was greater than sufficient for her to maneuver ahead with the process.
“I simply keep in mind trying over at my mother, and I stated, ‘I wish to do this. I don’t care if it’s going to achieve success or not, I’ve to strive,’” Thompson advised the outlet.
The process, led by Dr. Robert Brodsky, utilized a “haploidentical” (half-matched) donor. In Tatyana’s case, her brother, Dakota, stepped as much as the plate. Historically, bone marrow transplants required a 100% genetic match. Solely about 20% of SCD sufferers can meet that criterion. Nonetheless, the Johns Hopkins protocol makes use of high-dose cyclophosphamide after the transplant to selectively remove the immune cells that may trigger rejection. This breakthrough successfully opens the door for practically any affected person to discover a donor inside their instant household.
The success of Thompson’s case is supported by knowledge from the BMT CTN 1507 scientific trial. The research reported a 95% survival fee and an 88% remedy fee amongst individuals. These statistics recommend that the protocol developed at Johns Hopkins isn’t solely efficient in halting illness development but additionally gives a sturdy, long-term resolution.
Following the transplant, Thompson skilled a bodily sensation she had by no means identified in her grownup life: waking up with a ache stage of zero. The transition from continual agony to finish reduction has allowed her to maneuver past the restrictions of her prognosis and be an lively mom.
“We celebrated by going to Nice Wolf Lodge with my son,” Thompson stated. The water temperatures would have beforehand triggered a ache disaster. “I simply keep in mind happening these water slides and actually having the time of my life as a result of I knew I wasn’t going to the hospital the subsequent day.”
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