Their nightmare was real. I went blank fighting back the tears and gently shook my head yes. Fanconi anemia keeps the body from making bone marrow. Only about 3,000 people in the world have the disease. Doctors told Alex's parents she needed a bone marrow transplant immediately.
Siblings typically are perfect bone marrow donors.
But Matthew not only was short and underweight like his sister, but also matched her in a more disastrous way. In January, he tested positive for Fanconi anemia. Because no family member was a good bone marrow match, a nationwide search began. It would be like looking for two needles in a haystack. Thirty blood drives have been held, mainly around the Midwest, especially near St. Louis.