Patient Stories

Laynie was your typical second grader. She was happy, outgoing and always looking at the bright side of life. She loved spending time with her friends, playing soccer and had perfect school attendance. In the spring of her second grade year Laynie joined softball. While her parents began to notice long-lasting bruises and petechiae rashes that came and went, Laynie’s easy-going spirit kept them at ease. She was never tired, never complained or felt ill. But one morning when Laynie’s mom, Holly, went to wake her up she noticed a bit of blood coming out of the corner of Laynie’s mouth. “When you put all that together, it’s not good,” said Holly. “We took her to the doctor that day and they immediately referred us to an oncologist.” Laynie was then diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia with a PNH clone, both very rare diseases. “In the span of a heartbeat, Laynie went from perfectly healthy to needing a bone marrow transplant to survive,” remembers Holly. Laynie began ATG infusions, which led her into remission. She took a trip with Make-A-Wish, and seemed to be heading back towards a “normal” life. But as they began to wean Laynie off of [...]

On November 26, 2018, everything changed in nine-year-old Sawyer's life. The school nurse called his mom concerned by a jaundiced hue to his skin. After a few days of pediatrician visits, a high fever, and extreme lethargy, Sawyer was admitted to the hospital, ultimately receiving a Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) diagnosis. Sawyer began several months of intense treatments. His beloved Piggie (pictured) stayed by his side for every appointment. Sawyer entered remission and prepared to enter middle school. But then, he became very sick. Devastatingly, he was diagnosed with Acute lymphocytic leukemia. Sawyer would need a bone marrow transplant. With Piggie in hand, Sawyer and his mom, Jo Ann, moved to Houston for treatment at Texas Children's. His Grace Foundation provided an apartment for them to move into, and then COVID-19 hit. Sawyer's dad and brothers joined Jo Ann and Sawyer at the apartment so they could weather the season together. "I don't know what we would do without His Grace," said Jo Ann. "Because of the apartment provided by His Grace, our family can be ALL together as we 'shelter in place' …This forced togetherness is the best gift our family could receive." In December 2020, Sawyer was officially [...]

Sophie Gil wasn’t sure what was happening. As a sophomore in high school, she and her doctor knew that some headaches and nausea could be a normal part of puberty. But something just didn’t seem right, and Sophie’s symptoms got worse. She started seeing black spots, and, eventually, Sophie’s doctor sent her for a CT scan at 2 PM on a Friday afternoon. A few hours later, Sophie—a drummer on her high school’s drumline—was about to meet the bus to head to a football game. “My Mom sat me down and said, ‘they found something. We’re talking with people about where to go.’ We broke down. It was horrible, and we didn’t know what to do.” A doctor friend of the family told them to get in the car and drive, right away, to Texas Children’s Hospital. So, they left Louisiana and drove directly to the emergency room at TCH. “We showed up in the ER with a scan of the CT,” Sophie recalled. “By the next day, I had a biopsy.” During what would become a three-week stay, Sophie had a craniotomy during which doctors removed 100% of the tumor from her brain. They officially diagnosed her with [...]

Julia Cate just turned four years old. She enjoyed a Paw Patrol birthday cake decorated in pink and turquoise icing—it even had a lavender belt. Friends sent their birthday wishes and love over Facebook, which isn’t all that uncommon during the COVID-19 pandemic, when millions of birthdays have gone uncelebrated in the traditional ways. But for Julia Cate, it’s a little different. She isn’t just weathering a global pandemic; she’s healing from a bone marrow transplant. Earlier in 2020, Julia Cate’s parents, Jessica and Chuck, noticed that Julia Cate had swollen lymph nodes. She hadn’t been acting sick or unusual, but labs told an unexpected story. Julia Cate had T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (T-ALL). “She had a really tough case,” Chuck said. Months of drugs and chemotherapy induction didn’t produce the desired results and ultimately failed in curing Julia Cate’s cancer. Doctors then tried another drug and, finally, Julia Cate went into remission during the summer. Her family was more than ready to rejoice, and rejoice they did, but their celebration was cut short. Julia checked in for her bone marrow transplant just two weeks after receiving the good news. Camille, Julia Cate’s ten-year-old sister, had prayed that she [...]

In 2017, His Grace Foundation had the honor of giving a college scholarship to former bone marrow transplant patient Matthew through the His Grace Foundation Holly A. Hardy Educational Support and Scholarship Fund. We recently had the joy of catching up with Matt about his experience in college thus far and his hopes for the future, and here's what he'd like to share with you! "College is going fantastic. I am now a biomedical science major, and I love the course work, I think in part because of my personal experience with medicine. Also, I have been getting more and more involved in the local church in College Station which has been the highlight of my whole college experience so far, just getting to grow closer to God and serve others in such an awesome community. A&M has been such a great place to live and learn and ultimately earn my degree from; also how about that Aggie football! After college, I am very excited for how I will get to use all that I have learned, to be of benefit to my local community and hopefully the world at large, by pursuing a career in public health and [...]

Our Little Hero by Rebeckah Arnold On January 4th, 2008, my husband and I welcomed a beautiful baby boy into this world. We were all so happy. It wasn't until 4 months later that we became concerned about our son Canaan. He wasn't growing like he should and he started having other complications. His pediatrician and a team of doctors from Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock were stumped as to what was harming our son. After several stays at Arkansas Children's Hospital and numerous tests, Canaan was finally diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Chronic Granulomatous Disease, or CGD. He was four years old. CGD causes the patient to be unable to fight off any kind of bacterial or fungal infection. Canaan's doctors prescribed him medication and he started thriving, but the only cure was for him to under go a Bone Marrow Transplant. Otherwise, his life expectancy would be 20 years, and he would suffer a lot of complications. In June of 2013, we received a call from his doctor at Arkansas Children's Hospital. She told us about Texas Children's Hospital in Houston and how they did Bone Marrow Transplants for CGD children. We decided it [...]

Nolan Naranjo was diagnosed with Severe Aplastic Anemia (bone marrow failure) in September 2011. He was only four years old when he was diagnosed. By by the time Nolan's fifth birthday arrived, seemingly endless biopsies and blood transfusions had not stopped Nolan’s disease from progressing toward Mylodysplastic Syndrome, an even more threatening diagnosis. A bone marrow transplant was imperative for Nolan, but of 9 million registered bone marrow donors, not one was a complete match for him. Nolan’s doctors determined that he should receive a half match donation from his mother, Jennifer, to be completed on the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit of Texas Children’s Hospital. Jennifer recalled that when she and Nolan arrived on the BMTU, “His Grace Foundation provided the extra support that is so desperately needed.” The welcoming gift basket, weekly shopping trips, massage therapy, and catered meals made all the difference for their family as Nolan and Jennifer were separated from Nolan’s father and brother during the hospital stay. After his transplant, Nolan had to remain near the hospital for three months, so HGF arranged for him and Jennifer to stay at the Belmont Apartments until they were able to return home. Nolan loved the delicious [...]

In March 2014, Briana was enjoying the ideal year for a high school senior. She was in the top 5% of her graduating class, had been elected homecoming queen of Mayde Creek High School and, best of all, had just been accepted to her dream school, The University of Texas at Austin. In stark contrast to this happy season of her life, Briana received incredibly difficult news. She was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia, a rare, aggressive bone marrow disease. Briana underwent immunosuppressant therapy as the first course of treatment, but it failed. She then went through chemotherapy, radiation, and a bone marrow transplant, in addition to over 100 platelet and blood transfusions. Briana’s bone marrow transplant was not successful and she will undergo a second transplant soon. In the face of incredible difficulty, Briana remained genuinely joyful and determined to overcome her challenges in order to follow her dream of attending the University of Texas at Austin to earn a nursing degree so that she can provide others with the same excellent care that she has received. Briana continues to fight her disease with resolve and dignity, embracing her hair loss with an attitude that proclaims “bald is beautiful” [...]

Chloe Rodriguez was diagnosed with leukemia as a young girl and learned that her leukemia had returned in the Spring of 2010. She was so upset by the news, but even then she looked for a silver lining — dyeing her brown her blonde and pink before losing it to chemotherapy (the first time she had leukemia, Chloe's dad gave her a Mohawk!). Doctors told Chloe that she would require a bone marrow transplant. Her family was tested in order to find the best match for her. Her brother, Cole, was a perfect match. On April 30, 2010, Chloe received Cole’s bone marrow and her body responded successfully. She was able to go home on May 28th, and less than a year later she was enjoying a normal life once again — attending public school, participating in sports, and spending time with friends. When Chloe thinks back on her time at TCH, she specifically remembers the welcome basket provided by HGF. Chloe’s mom, Lisa, remembered that Chloe was nervous and afraid about being admitted to the bone marrow transplant unit and that receiving the basket took her mind off of where she was. “She sat on her bed going through everything [...]

Joshua was born with Sickle Cell Anemia. He began exhibiting symptoms like pain crisis, which feels like a stabbing, at 18 months old. The crises are sporadic, can occur without notice, and can last for as long as two-and-a-half weeks. In addition to severe pain crises, Sickle Cell Anemia also reduces the lifespan of its host by slowly impacting the organs. The average lifespan of someone with sickle cell is 40 years. On average, Joshua’s pain crises occurred monthly. Many crises were treated at home with medication. Joshua's family would treat him at home for seven days and if they couldn't find relief, they headed to the emergency where Josh was hurried into a room. Josh was in the hospital at least quarterly. Josh, his older brother Kaleb, his mom Gen, and his dad Karim logged untold hours in lobbies and inpatient rooms. As one can imagine, Karim and Gen were heartbroken for their son and struggled with regret that they had given such a terrible disease to him. Apart from the Sickle Cell Anemia, Josh was a typical boy — and a bit of a troublemaker — who loved to play. He’d always ask if the family could [...]