JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Black patients are the least likely to find a match for bone marrow transplants.
According to Be The Match, they have a 29% chance of finding a match. To put that into perspective, white patients have a 79% chance of finding one.
When it comes to bone marrow, some ethnic groups have more complex tissue types than others. A person’s best chance of being a donor is typically someone who is of the same race.
For one family, the lack of options hit close to home. The family is now working to encourage more minority donors to join the bone marrow registry list.
In November 2020, LaKesia Hendon’s daughter, MiKhiya Hendon, suddenly got sick. She was 15 years old at the time.
“She was like bleeding to death,” LaKesia Hendon said.
LaKesia Hendon said her daughter was diagnosed with strep throat from an urgent care, but a few days, later she couldn’t walk.
“Once they realized that she didn’t have COVID, it was she needed blood immediately right away, and they didn’t know exactly what was wrong with her. So they came up with severe aplastic anemia/bone marrow failure. She didn’t have lupus. She didn’t have sickle cell, leukemia, none of that,” LaKesia Hendon said.
After one misdiagnosis, countless blood transfusions and platelets and spending her 16th birthday in a hospital, MiKhiya Hendon needed a bone marrow transplant immediately.
But as an only child and no other family matches, the search for a donor wasn’t easy.
“Hispanics, African Americans and Asians, it’s a low, low rate for us to get our own ethnic. So she ended up getting from her, and I thank God for her,” LaKesia Hendon said. “She ended up being a white 27-year-old female, we’re actually trying to meet her now.”
A year ago Thursday, MiKhiya Hendon received a lifesaving bone marrow transplant through Be The Match’s bone marrow registry.
“She came up to be closest match to MiKhiya, and not only was she the best one for her, Khaya has actually another bone marrow in the freezer just in case that one failed,” LaKesia Hendon said.
LaKesia Hendon said her daughter is doing well a year later.
“Thank you, Lord,” LaKesia Hendon said. “We came across some bumps in the road.”
After the transplant, MiKhiya Hendon developed GVHD, a condition where the donor’s bone marrow is fighting against the recipient’s body. Her body went through many other changes. She also developed asthma.
But the Hendons are grateful that she’s gotten another chance at life.
Now, they’re encouraging more minorities to join the bone marrow registry. They say it could be the difference between life and death.
“To each and everyone, if you can and you’re willing to go out you could actually save somebody’s life, that’s the most important thing to me is giving a person a chance at life,” LaKesia Hendon said. “It could be your kid, it could be your mom, your dad.”
The family is hosting a webinar Thursday night with a Be The Match representative to teach people more about bone marrow donations. To participate, click here.
Then on Saturday, the Hendons are hosting a community appreciation day. LifeSouth will be there collecting blood donations, and Be the Match will be there for bone marrow donations. The event is scheduled from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Columbia High School Stadium at 469 Southeast Fighting Tiger Drive in Lake City.