Quispamsis woman gives gift of life to 3-year-old in U.S. — again
Three-year-old Savanna Acosta will be spending Christmas at home in Tacoma, Wash., this year, thanks to stem cells from a New Brunswick donor.
It's the second time that Pam Dicaire has saved the child's life.
"I would do this again in a heartbeat," she said from her home in Quispamsis.
The long-distance near-perfect DNA match was discovered three years ago, after Dicaire registered with Canadian Blood Services.
Marrow Network
Their Marrow Network links to 70 countries around the world.
Savanna first received Dicaire's cells in 2014, after she was diagnosed with severe combined immunodeficiency.
The syndrome renders infants unable to fight off infections and most who go untreated die within two years.
Donors and recipients can choose to remain anonymous to each other.
When they do select to be known, the veil isn't lifted for at least the first year.
However, in Dicaire's case, she was invited to Seattle in July 2015 as part of an event to celebrate stem cell treatments.
Stayed in touch
That's where she met Savanna's mother, Athena Gomez.
The two have stayed in touch.
Gomez said that's why she felt confident that Dicaire would help once more, when Savanna was diagnosed with leukemia and needed stem cells as part of her treatment.
"I knew right then and there that she would have no problem doing it again," said Gomez.
"Before they even asked her."
Dicaire didn't hesitate.
She and her husband travelled to Halifax.
On Nov. 2, Dicaire went under general anesthetic at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre so her cells could be harvested.
Within 18 hours, those cells arrived in Seattle.
On Nov. 3, Gomez posted video of her daughter receiving the transplant.
On Nov. 28, she posted another video of Savanna leaving the Seattle Children's Hospital.
Home for Christmas
"She got to go home early. So she will be home for Christmas," said Dicaire.
"And that's just a miracle. That's just incredible. I'm so happy for them."
Dicaire wants to encourage more people to register with Canadian Blood Services.
She says the harvesting procedure does cause some discomfort but it really doesn't hurt.
Canadian Blood Services says the OneMatch program reimburses any costs incurred as a result of donating stem cells.
That includes covering travel and accommodation costs if the donor has to travel for the procedure.
