A young boy in Los Angeles donates stem cells to help his father beat leukemia. Doctors at Cedars-Sinai say he is one of their youngest and bravest donors.
It’s a story of courage, love, and a little boy who stepped up in a big way to help save his father’s life.
In July, Nick Mondek, an anesthesiologist and dad of two, was running out of options. His blood cancer had returned.
Ronald Paquette, MD, Cedars-Sinai Cancer
“Dr. Mondek has acute myeloid leukemia and he previously received chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant from his brother. Unfortunately, his disease came back more than two and a half years after his first transplant. And so, we had a new problem on our hands. How can we get him back in remission and cure his disease a second time around?”
Dr. Ron Paquette of Cedars-Sinai Cancer believed this time a young donor would offer the best chance.
That person turned out to be closer than anyone imagined—Dr. Mondek’s son, Stephen, who was 9 years old at the time.
Nick Mondek, MD, Leukemia Patient
“I asked him at that dinner table over there. I said, ‘Hey, Buddy. Dad is sick and they need someone to give stem cells and they want to know if you want to get tested. And he said, “When do we go?’
Stephen Mondek, Stem Cell Donor, Age 10
“I felt good that I would be helping him.”
Were you nervous at all?
“A little.”
Nick Mondek, MD, Leukemia Patient
“I told him how he’d have to get blood work, chest x-ray, EKG. He’d be getting shots every day for about four days. They’d probably make him tired. They'd give him a little bit of a headache. And on the collection day itself he would be sitting in a bed for about five or six hours while they extracted the stem cells out.
And I wanted to make sure he was clear, if there was any concerns, f he was scared about it. I made it seem, you know, I just wanted to answer any questions he may have.”
Doctors say it’s rare for someone so young to donate, but Stephen was the perfect half-match.
Hoyoung Chung, DO Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s
“This is a high risk procedure for anybody, especially for a 10-year-old whose vein size is smaller than an adult. This was definitely a rare circumstance and my first one.”
Under general anesthesia, Stephen spent six hours donating stem cells. The procedure went smoothly and he was home in one day.
Danielle Boyer, Stephen’s Mother
“I wouldn’t say there was any fear, more just a sense of pride that my son was so willing to help out.”
Days later, Nick received his son’s stem cells—and with them, a brand-new immune system
Ronald Paquette, MD, Cedars-Sinai Cancer
“Most of the time it’s a cure; most of the time a transplant is a cure. That’s why we love transplants.”
On August 16th, Nick was discharged… just in time to watch Stephen play baseball.
Doctors say it could take a year or more to know if Stephen’s stem cells fully beat the leukemia. But hope is strong.
Nick Mondek, MD, Leukemia Patient
“It’s nice not to be in a hospital after spending close to two-and-a-half to three months of this year hospitalized. It's great to be outside and just watch my kids and just enjoying every day.”
Source: Cedars-Sinai
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