Stem cell transplant will give Katy teen a new lease on life

For as long as she can remember, Katy teenager Gabby Neely-Smith has had to deal with pain. She suffers from Kostmanns neutropenia, a rare, congenital disease where the body makes too few white blood cells. The 18-year-old has to take daily injections of Neupogen to help her body produce the types of white blood cells that fight infection.

Its up to Gabbys mother, Jill Neely-Smith, to give her the daily injections either in her arm or stomach. Gabby feels pain when she gets the shot, pain for a few minutes after the shot and severe bone pain thereafter.

Ive never had a day without pain, said Gabby, matter-of-factly. You get used to it, and its not too bad as long as I take the Neupogen.

In what can only be described as a cruel irony, the Neupogen that helps Gabby battle infection is also the culprit behind her recent positive test for the mutated gene that is a precursor for leukemia one of the possible side effects of the medicine. Her doctors at MD Anderson Cancer Center recommended that she receive a bone marrow transplant also known as a stem cell transplant to protect her from developing leukemia. She begins that process on Tuesday and her stem cell transplant is scheduled for Aug. 22.

Gabby, along with her mother and younger sister, Angelina, is currently staying at the Ronald McDonald House, located near the Medical Center, awaiting the start of what Gabby described as very intense chemotherapy that will last for 13 days. On the 14th day Aug. 22 Gabby will receive the bone marrow transplant.

Gabby doesnt know what to expect, but shes staying positive.

Its my first time for this [transplant], so its all new, she said. All I know for sure is, now Ill have two birthdays my actual birthday and Aug. 22, the day I started my new life.

When Gabby was told she tested positive for the mutated gene that is a precursor for leukemia, the hunt was on to try and find a suitable matching bone marrow donor. The search was a success and led to Gabbys pending stem cell transplant.

Theres a chance she could meet her donor, but that would come some time after the transplant process.

I dont know if it will turn out that way, but it would be great [to meet the donor], said Gabby.

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Stem cell transplant will give Katy teen a new lease on life