Mother set to give daughter bone marrow

Andrea Koskey

The Daily Times

FARMINGTON — For the second time in 15 years, Renee Poyer has the opportunity to give her daughter the gift of life.

Just before the holidays, 32-year-old Renee was notified that there was a strong likelihood she was a bone marrow match for her daughter, Kiesha, who was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia.

Kiesha, 15, a sophomore at Kirtland Central High School, had relapsed with the cancer only three months before she received the news that her own mother was a match and could give her another chance at life.

"I was surprised (my mom matched)," Kiesha said sleepily during a phone interview from her Albuquerque hospital room. "They first told us she wasn't but they tried again and she's close."

Since her relapse in September, Kiesha has spent countless days and hours undergoing tests, supervision and chemotherapy at the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque before going to Denver for many of the same procedures in preparation for the transplant.

The Poyer's left New Mexico Sunday for their new, temporary residence in Denver for the next six months while both Renee and Kiesha undergo surgery and recovery.

Neither Kiesha nor Renee are nervous for the procedure. Instead, both are ready to get it over with and get back to regular life.

"We are hoping this is the last stage before recovery," Renee said.

"(Kiesha's) doing well. She's looking forward to doing the procedure."

According to Dr. Han Myint, director of bone marrow transplants and professor at University of Colorado Hospital, the Poyer's situation is rare.

"It is very unusual to have a daughter have such a high match from their mother," Myint said. "Related brothers and sisters are usually the likeliest match."

The process and procedure is short and possibly painful for Renee, but Kiesha's recovery is the concern for most medical experts.

"It's a lot of work to take care of a recipient," Myint said. "It is very difficult to take care of a bone marrow transplant patient than a solid organ recipient."

A lot of preparation happens for both the donor and recipient before the bone marrow transplant is complete. Before receiving new marrow, a recipient's current marrow must be cleared out and the new marrow is fed to the recipient through a vein catheter, not surgery.

"The marrow knows where to go," said Myint. "It can find its way back to the bone if put in through the blood."

The risk, however, comes 14 days after the procedure when the new marrow begins to make a new home with the new immune system. For these 14 days, the recipient does not have much of an immune system and is kept in isolation, but once the new immune system is "installed," it could always reject the body or the organs of its new home. "The new marrow could start attacking the liver or the kidneys," Myint said. "It all depends on the patient and the marrow."

A marrow recipient is not out of the woods for at least six months, Myint said.

"The patient could take anti-rejection drugs for six months to a year before they accept and live happily ever after," said Myint.

Although bone marrow transplants are a higher risk than solid organ transplants, the procedure is much easier. Myint said roughly 60,000 marrow transplants take place each year, while solid organ transplants are dependent upon availability.

Both of Kiesha's parents had been tested when she relapsed in September. Both, initially, came up negative, but when the national

Bone Marrow Registry was searched, Renee came up as a match.

"I can't believe (I'm a match)," Renee said. "But I never gave up hope I knew someone would come up, even if it wasn't me."

With remission, doctors told the Poyers a bone marrow transplant would be the best way for a cure.

Last year, while Kiesha was in remission from her cancer, Renee heard of another young Native American in need of a bone marrow transplant to fight a similar disease. A drive to find a possible match was held in Shiprock, so Renee decided to go out and get tested, and put on a national registry for bone marrow donors

"I know the feeling," said Renee. "I felt the need to go out and help someone else."

Renee was not a match for that person, but several months later, she showed up as a possible match for her own daughter.

Before Renee's match, a drive was held in Kiesha's honor at Kirtland Central and, although the nearly 60 volunteers did not come up as a match, they could for someone else.

"When you put a name to something, it's not uncommon for people to step forward," said Cindy Verhaar, donor marrow program volunteer and Kirtland Central drive organizer. "All of these people did come out for Kiesha. Without her we wouldn't have gotten nearly as many people as we did. It's great to have an ethnic group come out like they did at Kirtland Central. There is always a chance they could match someone in need down the road."

After initial testing and exams, which are set to take place this week, Kiesha and her mother could have the surgery by the end of the month.

Even though she has a long road ahead for recovery, Kiesha's eyes are still set on the ultimate prize: graduating from high school.

"I just want to get back to school," she said. "I wish I could go home (before the procedure), but I just want to get on with my transplant and start recovery."