Hello, for those of you who have not viewed the information from NBC Nightly News about the latest breakthrough in bone marrow transplantation for ADULTS, here is my take and the link to the article and corresponding video. I know that others have posted Dr. Fleming's story, but he is also featured in this NBC Nightly News broadcast:

http://www.msnbc. msn.com/id/ 34352186/ ns/health- more_health_ news/

Hello, Sickle Cell Friends and Family! I just received the above news link from a friend that covers a new breakthrough in the treatment and possible cure of Sickle Cell Disease in ADULTS. It goes on to talk about a new way to perform bone marrow transplants (BMT) in adults by using only 1/4 of the traditonally used radiation, and none of the chemotherapy used in traditional transplants for children, to kill off the recipients' bone marrow and immune system for reception of donor marrow.

As many of you know, BMT is rarely used in adults, because many adults have sustained marked heart, lung, and kidney damage from years of crises and children's immune systems are typically able to receive donor marrow with much more ease. I always did think that it was very unfair that children have a chance for cure, but not adults, despite the fact that adults suffer from more symptoms and damage from the disease. Well, there is hope on the horizon! The link shows promising medical techniques for adult Sickle Cell patients to reduce and eliminate their disease. There is also a video of the actual NBC Nightly News broadcast.

The sad part about learning of this news is that there is still no hope for cure or elimination of disease for those children and adults who have NO FULL SIBLINGS, such as myself. You must have a full sibling (same mother and father) who is able to donate the marrow. There is still no hope for cure for me outside of what God may do, so I continue to hope and pray that one day infants' cord blood will provide a means to use stem cells to grow bone marrow that will be able to be implanted into patients who have no one to donate to them.

That would open the door for a nation-wide bone marrow/cord blood registry, and life-long Sickle Cell suffering would be a thing of the past. Wishful thinking, but with God, all things are possible! If a friend did not send me this info, I would have never known about this new breakthrough (for a long time)...I miss the NBC Nightly News most nights. I also wondered when they would ever talk about anything relating to Sickle Cell on a national news show. Its almost as if its an "invisible disease" among us, because our own fellow African-Americans are rarely educated about it, and let's not even mention those of the other persuasions. I thank God that something relating to SCD has come to the national stage. Hope you enjoy the article and video, and please share! God Bless!

With Warmest Regards,

B. Jewell