Child with rare genetic disease released from hospital after bone marrow transplant
A Cincinnati child with a rare genetic disease has been released from the hospital following a bone marrow transplant.
was diagnosed with Adrenoleukodystrophy, or ALD, in 2017 thanks to newborn screening. ALD prevents the body from breaking down fatty acids in the brain which can ultimately lead to brain damage.
From the time he was born, Noah got an MRI every six months to watch for the progression of the disease. In March, doctors saw something that triggered the need for a bone marrow transplant.
Luckily, Noah's twin brother was a perfect match for the transplant. Noah went into the hospital on April 13 and had eight days of intense chemotherapy to kill his bone marrow and prepare for a transplant.
His transplant was performed on May 2 and on Monday, he was released from the hospital.
You can watch a video of him ringing the bell upon his release from the hospital above.
Noah's dad says the child is doing amazing and is producing 100% donor cells.
There's no cure for his disease but the transplant can halt progression if it's caught soon enough, which makes newborn screening and ongoing monitoring paramount to potential care.