Kathleen and her son Joey

Kathleen's Story

“Joey was my miracle baby,” beams Kathleen Summers.

The facts seem to bolster that claim. At 29, Kathleen had a blood test that confirmed her pregnancy...and leukemia.

Her only chance of survival was a bone marrow transplant. Until a donor was found, though, the strain of pregnancy might accelerate the disease. “But there was no way I wasn’t having my baby,” Kathleen insisted.

Puget Sound Blood Center’s Patient Services had the solution — four months of leukopheresis, a procedure that removes excess white cells. Afterward, Joey was born.

He was healthy, but Kathleen wasn’t. However, she could safely undergo radiation, chemotherapy and a marrow transplant.

Her recovery was slow, but complete.

And Joey, now 8, is a healthy reminder of Kathleen’s “miracle.”