Boy From Florida, 8, Donates Bone Marrow To Save Older Siblings With Sickle Cell Disease

Apr 22, 2019 by apost team

One Florida boy is being heralded as a hero for saving the lives of not one, but two, of his siblings.

According to WESH 2 News, Stefan Aihe is an eight-year-old who donated his own bone marrow to save the lives of his older siblings. Stefan's 22-year-old big brother, Kingsley, and big sister, 13-year-old Vanessa, both suffer from sickle cell disease.

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According to Mayo Clinic, this life-threatening condition also known as Sickle Cell Anemia occurs when there are not enough healthy red blood cells to carry the right amount of oxygen throughout the body.

People with sickle cell disease experience a variety of symptoms including severe pain, hand and feet swelling, frequent infections, and stunted growth development. The only cure for the disease is a bone marrow transplant.

When Stefan realized that he was the perfect match for both Kingsley and Vanessa, he did not hesitate to do what he could to help out his siblings. It is extremely rare for a person to be able to donate to two different people.

Vanessa received the bone marrow transplant from Stefan a few years ago. The success of that procedure inspired Stefan to do it again last November for Kingsley. Stefan's proud mother said that her son was happy to be able to help out his siblings so that they could lead a healthy and happy life.

"I feel like God made it happen for us," she said, "so we were blessed."

This brave boy's heroics should be celebrated by all. What do you think of the boys actions? Would you have done the same for your siblings? Let us know in the comments, and make sure to pass this along to your friends and family!