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Zachary Navarrette

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Zachary's Story

When Candace Navarrette’s talks about her six-year-old son Zachary’s battle with leukemia, her voice is confident and strong. It’s been five years since a cord blood transplant from an anonymous donor saved his life. It’s a story Candy shares willingly with other parents; many of who think, this could never happen to them. But the Navarrettes know that diseases like leukemia can strike anyone, at any time.

The year was 1998. One-year-old Zach, who just had his first year vaccinations, suddenly got really sick. “His fever wouldn’t come down, he was lethargic and just stopped walking and crawling altogether,” explained Candy.

Zachary’s tests revealed low blood counts. His body was not producing enough healthy blood cells, to fight off his fatigue and other symptoms of anemia. The Navarrette’s pediatrician referred them to another doctor who pointed out Zach’s enlarged liver and spleen. “He told us it was a sign of leukemia.”

We Almost Lost Him
The family was in shock. Doctors at Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas recommended chemotherapy. “The worst time for Zach was right after the chemo. His spleen got so big that he could barely breathe.”

Zach was put on oxygen and moved into intensive care. The outlook was grim; doctors told the Navarrettes he might not make it through the night. “We cried so much, we almost lost him,” said Candy.

Zach made it through the night. He then underwent several rounds of radiation to shrink his enlarged spleen and an operation to remove it. To survive, one-year-old Zachary Navarrette would need a stem cell transplant from a matching donor. Doctors searched for a match, looking first for bone marrow. “I’m Caucasian and my husband is Hispanic, so that made it very difficult to find a match for a child of mixed ethnicity like Zachary,” added Candy.

Doctors Go for Cord Blood
Doctors quickly abandoned looking for a bone marrow match. They concentrated on cord blood stem cells since they don’t have to be as perfect a match as bone marrow does. They said it would be easier for to find a cord blood donor that matched Zachary. There is also less chance that his body would reject the donor’s cells or develop graft vs. host disease, a leading transplant complication.

Once a cord blood donor was found, Zachary underwent strong doses of both chemotherapy and radiation to destroy his immune system and prepare him for the new stem cells. “The actual transplant was a very simple process,” remarked Candy. “They just hooked the cord blood up to his IV and we all just sat there and watched the miracle happen.”

Slowly but surely Zachary got better. His appetite improved; a smile returned to his face. He actually had to learn to walk again, after spending so much time in a hospital bed, said his parents.

Changed Lives
Zachary’s illness had a huge impact on the Navarrettes. Deep inside, Candy knows how strong she really is, “I never thought I could handle anything like that. I am so happy the doctors went with the cord blood transplant. Zach is five years post transplant, and is a normal, healthy six-year-old.”

The family didn't hesitate to bank cord blood for their second child, Noah. For the Navarrettes, the peace of mind that comes with knowing the cells are there, should Zachary or another family member need them is something no amount of money can buy. Candy is pregnant with a third child, and plans to bank again. “We do not regret our decision to bank for a second. The doctor who delivered Noah was so excited about cord blood banking after working with our family, that he and his wife banked their babies cord blood a few months later.”

Candace and Rubin Navarrette hope that sharing their story helps other parents make an informed decision about cord blood banking. “I know from experience that diseases like leukemia can strike anyone. Plus, they are learning so much about cord blood every day; it can treat so many diseases. Banking your baby’s cord blood is one of the best kinds of insurance you can buy for your new baby.”

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