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"Your son has leukemia."
It's hard enough to hear this diagnosis once, but Wendy Doheney had to hear these awful words twice.
The first time was when her son Keegan was just two. Doctors were able to get his leukemia into remission and the Doheneys were cautiously optimistic.
The second time was three years later. "Keegan was in school, in kindergarten, and I was at home, " Wendy remembers. "And I just got this feeling that something was wrong. I called Keegan's doctor and I think she thought I was nuts - there was nothing outwardly wrong with him. But I just knew. "
Unfortunately, Wendy Doheney's instincts proved correct and Keegan's leukemia had indeed come back. Fortunately, there was a ray of hope: the Doheneys had banked the umbilical cord blood stem cells of Keegan's younger brother Keldan. If the boys were a match, doctors could use the stem cells to treat Keegan.
"We were so relieved that we had saved Keldan's stem cells," Wendy recalls. "When I was pregnant, another parent had told us about cord blood and all the wonderful things that were being done with it. We looked into it and once we saw the potential, we knew we wanted the peace of mind that banking would give us."
The good news came quickly: the boys were a match. Doctors performed the transplant and Keegan has now been healthy for nine years and counting. A stellar athlete and straight A student, Keegan has a special bond with his little brother Keldan.
"There's always laughter whenever they're together," Wendy says. "People always comment on how close they are." Keegan has a simpler take on the matter. "My little brother saved my life," he notes. "If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here."
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