Wait for surgery almost over

Press, 6 September 1989, Page 5

Wait for surgery almost over

PA Auckland The final stage of donor-matching for Anna Keegan’s life-saving bone marrow transplant has started in London. Anna, aged 16, of Auckland, has Fanconi’s Anaemia, a rare inherited disorder where bone marrow ceases to function properly. Her blood does not have enough red and white cells or platelets.. An appeal launched by the “Auckland Star” and a IZB radiothon raised the $350,000 needed for a transplant. Anna and her mother, Mrs Dale Keegan, arrived in London for a foiirweek stay on August 27. Three days later they met a specialist at St George’s Hospital. Samples of Anna’s blood were taken to be matched with that of 30 potential donors isolated by the Anthony Nolan Clinic in London, which has a register of 170,000. The chance of finding a match with

the same tissue type is about one in 10 — none of her family was compatible. Each sample would be put in a test tube with Anna’s and, if they reacted, would be rejected. Donors have to be healthy, below a certain age, have no diseases they might transmit and no problems that would prejudice their own health. About 1 per cent of the donor’s bone marrow would be taken under general anaesthetic from the pelvis or sternum for the transplant. Because a lot of blood is lost, a month before surgery a pint is taken from the donor, stored- and put back after the marrow is taken. Anna’s father, Mr Tony Keegan, said that, during the matching process, Anna was meeting various world experts on the disease.

Mrs Keegan and Anna went to Paris last week-end to visit a clinic — one of three possible places for the transplant. The others are in Seattle and London.