Adriana

Adriana Aboumrad held a canned food drive to help feed hungry families in her community over the holidays. She also baked cookies to thank the people who donated blood through a Girl Scout blood drive in November. What's particularly amazing about Adriana is not that she is just 10 years old and she is so caring - it's that Adriana is doing all of this while she battles leukemia. Adriana was diagnosed with a form of leukemia called APL in April 2000. APL stands for acute promyelocytic leukemia, a subtype of leukemia. Approximately 50 children and 1000 adults throughout the U.S. are diagnosed with APL each year. With treatment, about 75 - 80% are expected to be long term survivors.

Leukemia is a cancer of the bone marrow and blood. Most patients tire more easily than a healthy person. They may feel short of breath when physically active. Bruises may appear from minor injuries or for no reason. According to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the disease results from an acquired (not inherited) genetic injury to the DNA of a single cell, which becomes abnormal (malignant) and multiplies continuously. Their onset interferes with the body's production of healthy blood cells and can make the body unable to protect itself against infections.

Adriana received a bone marrow transplant in 2001 as a hope for a cure. Leanne Aboumrad, Adriana's mother, says that they were blessed by having two donor matches, Reena and Anthony, Adriana's sister and brother. Blessed indeed - 70% of patients in need of a bone marrow transplant do not have a suitable family donor. Reena was selected as the donor for the bone marrow transplant.

A bone marrow transplant also requires blood. And lots of it. A patient receiving a bone marrow transplant usually needs 1 - 2 units of red blood cells every other day for 2 - 4 weeks as well as 6 - 8 units of platelets daily for 6 - 8 weeks. Leanne says it is the community of blood donors who really helped Adriana get through her surgery and recovery.

Unfortunately, Adriana had a recurrence of the disease following the bone marrow transplant. It took about a year for her to go into remission so she could receive a T-cell transplant in 2003. This time, her brother Anthony was the donor. T-cells are a type of white blood cell that helps fight cancers. This means Adriana needed more help from blood donors. Her mom says she has lost track of the number of times Adriana received blood transfusions. "If I held a thank you party for Adriana's donors, I don't think that they would fit in my house."

Adriana is home from the hospital now and returned to school in the fall 2004 after two years out. She actually conducted her canned food drive while she was in the hospital. She says doing good deeds for others has been a part of her recovery process, a type of therapy.