Trouble and more trouble

Doctors treated Jasmine's leukemia and helped her reach remission—only to learn she had developed a second rare disorder of her blood and immune system, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), unrelated to the cancer. "While we were chasing the secondary problem, we couldn't treat the first—the leukemia," Guinan says. "That put Jasmine in a very, very precarious position."

Leukemia returns

Once the HLH was in control, the family learned Jasmine's leukemia had recurred and she would have to begin chemotherapy—again. They were devastated. Doctors began aggressively treating the leukemia to get Jasmine into remission a second time, which was statistically less likely, so she could receive a bone marrow transplant from a sibling. The transplant was the best plan for a long-term cure.

Double blessing

The match: her 13-year-old brother, Alan, whose own life was saved by Children's as an infant when doctors repaired a hole in his heart. Jasmine and Alan's parents, Kim and Alan Sr., feel doubly blessed that Children's Hospital has given futures to both their children.

A father's wish

"They're wonderful children," Alan Sr. says. "Anybody who meets them knows that. I look forward to enjoying the years as they get older and bring me grandchildren and great-grandchildren. And we have Children's to thank."

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