Graduate student saves life by performing bone marrow transplant on 2-year-old child

Madison, Wisconsin (WMTV/Gray News) – A graduate student in Wisconsin saved the life of a 2-year-old in need by performing a bone marrow transplant in January.

Curtis Cox is a graduate student at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, and was volunteering with an organization called Be the Match last spring.

After learning how quick the process was, he submitted a cheek swab and became a registered donor.

“So obviously I volunteered there and was able to get on the Be the Match registry as well,” Cox said. “Then, in November of this year, I found out that Be the Match had actually emailed me and followed up with a phone call to let me know that I was a good fit for their little 2-year-old patient. Did.”

Cox flew to Washington, D.C., and completed the bone marrow donation process on January 29th. The next morning, the 2-year-old was able to receive a blood transfusion.

Cox said the decision to donate was easy after seeing some of her family members wanted to donate but were unable to do so due to COVID-19.

“If you can help someone in need, you can save a life. It was really (very) a no-brainer to give back and shine a light on this boy and his family,” Cox said. Told.

Cox’s recovery period was about two weeks. She said her recovery is going well and she continues to receive positive information from the child’s family.

Copyright 2024 WMTV (via Gray Media Group, Inc.). all rights reserved.