Heres some medical scientific information…

A bone marrow transplant match has nothing to do with blood typing  but rather specific genetic markers called Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLAs) aiming for the closest possible match (ideally 10/10) to prevent the new immune system from attacking the patient's body (graft-versus-host disease GVHD). 

Finding a suitable match is a complex process that depends largely on large donor registries like the NMDP (formerly Be The Match). For about 70% of patients, these volunteer donors are their only chance to find a life-saving match. For the others it’s utilizing a family member or sibling.

A full sibling has a 25% chance of being a perfect match, but only about 30% of patients find family donors. As family matches are rare, though parents are always partially matched. Siblings are common donors because they always share at least half their HLA.

Instead of needing a perfect HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen) match, the donor is a 50% genetic match, sharing one HLA haplotype. 

In the last 5-7 years “Haplo” donors have been used more frequently due to the innovation of science by conditioning the recipient patient with GVHD. A key innovation is using high-dose chemotherapy like cyclophosphamide(Cytoxan) after the transplant to reduce T-cells, preventing the donor cells from attacking the patient (GVHD). 

Back in 2018, when Jazmyne needed her first bone marrow transplant, using a sibling donor was not an option for her.

A “live donor” was never found in the registry. After a month of searching worldwide, no match was identified. I remember the urgency of having only a 30-day deadline to find a donor.

By day 28, with no live donor and no match in the registry, the doctors prepared us to go home and begin hospice care for Jazmyne.

Then, on day 30, God showed up—through a stem cell transplant using stem cord blood.

In 2011 an unknown mother who had just delivered her baby decided to donate her umbilical cord for future medical use.

The process in retrieving stem cell cord  is extraordinary to me. Stem cells  were retrieved during delivery from the umbilical cord blood, the blood left in the cord after birth, and the umbilical cord tissue the cord's connective tissue, as well as from the placenta (blood and tissue) and even amniotic fluid, all collected shortly after the baby is born, offering a rich, painless source of young stem cells for future medical use. It was that stem cell that saved Jazmyne life 7 years later.

That experience with Jazmyne’s first bone marrow transplant opened my eyes to just how amazing God is. He goes before us, preparing the way even before we are born, and He covers us with protection, often without us ever knowing.

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.””

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

~In the Mighty Name of Jesus