Stem Cell Donor Gives Patient Much to be Thankful Fore

Jeanine Walsh says she has a lot to be thankful for right now.

"They found the donor and it was just basically like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders."

The 38yearold mother of two young children is battling leukemia for the second time in two: "I was in totally and complete shock. Shane: Everything was going so good."

No members of Jeanine's family were a match for her, but a willing donor was found through the National registry.

Peripheral Stem cells were collected from the donor located in the Western US earlier this week. The process takes just a few hours.

Dr. Michael Schuster from Stony Brook University Hospital says, "We attach the donor to a machine. The machine takes blood form the donor, filters out the stem cells if you will and returns the rest of the blood to the donor."

He says a stem cell transplant is critical for Jeanine.

"When leukemia comes back as it has in this case there is zero chance for a cure without a transplant."

"We will get through it, says Jeanine's husband Shane. She will get through it, did it once we will do it again right."

Jeanine is recovering from chemotherapy and will have another round of aggressive chemo to prepare for transplant. She calls her anonymous donor her miracle.

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Stem Cell Donor Gives Patient Much to be Thankful Fore