One-year-old Declan de Gruy is a patient in need of blood transfusions every three weeks. Declan was diagnosed with Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) at just three months old, leaving his bone marrow unable to make red blood cells.

While many patients with DBA can be treated effectively with steroid therapy, Declan has a severe form of the disease that has left him transfusion-dependent. While he and his family await news on a potential marrow transplant, Declan has received 18 blood transfusions.

Complicating matters further, Declan’s blood type is also O-negative, which means he can only receive transfusions from other O-negative donors.

Read Full Article