Utah girl's severe aplastic anemia treated after toddler sister proves perfect donor
Emma Meline was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia just before Christmas, and two months later her 2-year-old sister Lucy was found to be a perfect bone-marrow match.
In late December 2025, Emma Meline from Pleasant Grove, Utah, exhibited symptoms that prompted a pediatric visit and subsequent biopsies, revealing severe aplastic anemia and bone-marrow failure. Treated on an immunocompromised unit at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, she required extensive care and a potential curative transplant. After her parents and four siblings were screened, the family learned that two-year-old Lucy was an exact donor match, enabling a bone-marrow transplant on February 17, 2026, after Emma received preparatory chemotherapy.
The operation succeeded, and Emma returned home in March, later reaching the 100-day post-transplant mark without issues, celebrated by ringing the children's hospital bell on her birthday. Ongoing recovery keeps her immunocompromised, and the family continues to rely on community support, including a GoFundMe campaign to offset medical expenses.
Why it matters
It shows how a sibling match can provide life-saving treatment for a rare, life-threatening blood disorder.
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