Sister donates bone marrow to girl battling rare disease

Hayden, left, was found to be a perfect match to donate bone marrow to her sister Sydney, right. (MyFoxBoston.com)

A 7-year-old Massachusetts girl is celebrating a week home with her family after undergoing a lifesaving bone marrow transplant which was made possible through her younger sister.

Sydney Darragh was diagnosed with Diamond Black Fan anemia when she was just one month old, and underwent her first blood transfusion the very next day, MyFoxBoston.com reported. Sydney continued to receive transfusions every three-to-four weeks, which began to take a toll on her body.

“She started to have symptoms of pre-diabetes caused from the iron overload,” Marilyn Darragh, her mother, told MyFoxBoston.com. The family searched for an answer and had a solution in their 5-year-old daughter Hayden, who proved to be a perfect donor match.

Sydney underwent 24 chemotherapy treatments to kill her own bone marrow so that Hayden’s can take over. After 38 days in the hospital, Sydney returned home to her family and is looking forward to her next big milestone on November 1. The date marks 100 days since her transplant, and doctors will test to see if Hayden’s cells have taken over Sydney’s so that the older girl can lead a normal life.

“They’re very happy with her results and she is doing amazing,” Marilyn told MyFoxBoston.com.

Sydney told the news station that she and her sister are also enjoying a special gift from Taylor Swift that included guitar picks, some hair bands and bracelets.