Rock Center
Jordan Flynn, the teenager featured in Rock Center’s report about her family’s fight to overturn bone marrow donor laws, recently received a bone marrow transplant.
Courtesy of Flynn Family
Flynn and her two sisters, Jorja and Julia, suffer from Fanconia Anemia, an incurable blood disorder. Jordan received a bone marrow transplant on May 8. In her online journal, Jordan’s mother, Doreen, described the transplant as a “re-birthday to my beautiful daughter.” Jordan’s blood counts have continued to rise, evidence that Jordan’s body is accepting her donor’s stem cells.
In her most recent posting from earlier this week, Doreen Flynn wrote, “Today’s counts showed Jordan's platelets have soared to 246,000 which is fabulous! We had one fabulous donor!!”
Courtesy of Flynn Family
While Jordan has made remarkable progress and was officially discharged from the hospital last week, her recovery hasn’t gone without complications. She spent her 14th birthday this week back in the hospital, but was released the next day.
“I just realized that as I write this it is technically Jordan's birthday! Happy birthday to my beautiful girl who has taught me strength and to be a fighter! You are one tough cookie and up you are my hero!!,” Doreen Flynn wrote in her online journal.
Despite the ups and downs, Jordan’s fighting spirit has remained firmly intact. Sporting pink hair and a smile, she recently skyped with her classmates to celebrate her eighth grade graduation.
Editor’s Note: Click here for more of Dr. Nancy Snyderman’s report, ‘A Mother’s Fight.’
Rima Abdelkader contributed to this report.
Hello, I arrived yesterday in California for a vacation and saw today the story about bone marrow donation. I have been registered by the DKMS Germany for about 2 years. It is an easy procedure - get swabbed. Last year I got THE call that I am the match for a person suffering with blood cancer. I had to undergo the rare procedure of donation, the surgery. It was a three days stay in a hospital but with absolutely no problems. No pain, no scars and no bills because everything is paid by DKMS. By the way: My bone marrow transplant was for a man from the US because DKMS Germany and DKMS Americas are working close together. I got the information that the transplant is working and that he has the chance to survive. Becoming a bone marrow donor is easy and I guess it is not a question of being payed - like DKMS says: Get swabbed! Hope that every patient gets the chance of finding a donor!
Greetings John Achim Beissel
My heart goes out to this family. I would loose my job if I could help ANYONE!!!! Life is more important than anything else. I wouldn't want compensation either!!!!! Where do I get tested.....AND I WONT BACK OUT EVER!!!!!!!! I have two daughter myself, and couldn't imagine anyone backing out, that is aweful.....
I'm not sure where you are getting your information, but the father and his
fiance are not very much involved in these matters. If you call paying child
support and insurance "being involved" then I guess you are right. Other than
that, he does not do anything for his children. He was not there for the 3
months prior to the transplant, where her mother hasd to transport her to
Portland for transfusions almost every other day. This man and his family live
in a reality that is not true. This is also the same man that kicked his
children out of the car and said they were dead to him. Showing up at the
hospital just now, can not erase that.
Yes, they are blessed, but not because
of anything he does. But because of Doreen and her family. Just get your facts
straight next time and don't listen to lies.
There are so many double standards regarding reimbursement. They bring up the "moral" obligation for blood and organ products. I pose a question...I have an illness called Common Variable Immune Deficiency which requires me to receive an IV infusion monthly that is derived from human plasma. I am also an RN and I interviewed once at a company that is a donor site. These donors were coming in and in return they would get an amount uploaded on a visa card for their use and they couldn't donate more than 2 or 3 times a week. So why can plasma donors be reimbursed and not blood or marrow?