A 9-Year-Old Son Saves His Father From Leukemia By Donating Stem Cells

A 9-Year-Old Son Saves His Father From Leukemia By Donating Stem Cells

A 9-Year-Old Son Saves His Father From Leukemia By Donating Stem Cells Nick Mondek with his family after the stem cell procedure – Credit: Cedars-Sinai A boy in California may have saved his father from a deadly returning cancer by becoming one of if not the world’s youngest stem cell donor. 9-year-old Stephen Mondek from Torrance loves playing catch with his dad, Nick, who himself loves nothing more than being a father. In 2022 Mr. Mondek was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, and had to be treated rapidly with an injection of donor stem cells from his older brother who was a perfect genetic match. He went into remission but the cancer came back “ferociously fast,” and Mondek’s only option was that he had to find another stem cell donor. This form of leukemia affects the blood-forming cells in the bone marrow, but an injection of stem cells can form the basis of a new immune arsenal that can locate and attack the leukemia tumors. A search through the National Bone Marrow Registry faile…