Adult Stem Cells Treat Girl's Illness with Success
By Jennifer Brinker
St. Louis Review Staff

When Kendra Ramsey started recovering from her illness, she was looking forward to celebrating by eating her favorite foods--ice cream and McDonald's hamburgers.

That's exactly what 11-year-old Kendra did when her health was deemed improved following a bone marrow transplant to treat her Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma several years ago.

Kendra was diagnosed with the illness, a cancer of the lymphatic system, when she was 3, said mom Pam Ramsey in an interview from the family's home in Edwardsville, Ill. Kendra has received her treatment through SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital.  Kendra underwent chemotherapy, but she suffered a relapse several months later, at age 4. Under the recommendation of her physician, Dr. Gordon Gale, the family opted for a transplant using a bone marrow donation from younger brother Lance, who was 2 at the time.

Bone marrow, defined as the soft, sponge-like tissue of bones where blood cells are made, is considered a source of adult stem cells. The Catholic Church has repeatedly taught that adult stem cells are morally acceptable for use in treatments and research.
Ramsey said it was several months down the road before doctors could determine that the transplant was successful.

"Once we got out of the hospital after the transplant ... they kept saying that you'll probably be in quite a bit with infections and that kind of thing, but we were never really admitted again after the transplant," said Ramsey.

Kendra was kept isolated during much of her recovery, only making occasional trips to see her grandparents. "Fortunately, that paid off, because we didn't end up back in the hospital," said Ramsey.

Other than taking a medication for her thyroid after undergoing radiation therapy, Ramsey said, her daughter largely has had a clean bill of health since the transplant.

"She did have to take one anti-rejection medicine, cyclosporine, for about five months or so, but at that point, her body wasn't rejecting Lance's cells, so they took her off the medicine, and everything's been fine."

After Kendra's period of isolation and recovery, the family celebrated by taking her to her favorite eating establishments, McDonald's and Bobby's Frozen Custard in Maryville, Ill.

"Everybody went. It was a big party," said Ramsey.

Asked if she felt there was a special relationship between her and Lance, now 9, because of the transplant, Kendra said, "Yeah, most of the time."

"They watch out for one another. And we told him. He knows what he did for her--and sometimes he holds that over her head," Pam Ramsey said with a laugh.

Dr. Gale, who has been treating Kendra since her diagnosis, said bone marrow transplants sometimes are considered a first option for people, and other times, it's a last resort, depending on the illness.

"Generally, most kids with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, we don't treat with bone marrow transplants," said Dr. Gale, who also is a professor of pediatric hematology/oncology at St. Louis University's School of Medicine. "The only children we treat with transplants are children who have recurrences of their disease. Fortunately, the majority of children don't have recurrences."
Dr. Donna Wall, who founded the St. Louis Cord Blood Bank at Cardinal Glennon, performed Kendra's transplant.

"When she had taken Lance in to extract the bone marrow, she came out, and she had the bag--she wrote on the outside, 'To Kendra, with love from Lance.' And it had a little heart around it," said Ramsey.

This first appeared in the St. Louis Review and is reprinted with permission.