By: Acacia Mandell, Red Cross Volunteer 

Like every parent, D’Laci Duckett from Greenville, SC just wanted a healthy baby. While pregnant, baby Max was diagnosed with spina bifida, a congenital condition where the spinal column does not fully close. Spina bifida can cause varying degrees of disability and affect other organs in the body.   

At 25 weeks gestation, baby Max was operated on in utero. This operation saved him from further complications and helped to avoid any additional surgeries that may occur with such a diagnosis. But mom and Max were not out of the woods yet.  

At a routine visit to the pediatrician, an employee asked D’Laci if she wanted to have Max screened for anemia, to which she agreed. Before they could even make it to the next appointment, D’Laci got a call from the pediatrician’s office suggesting they run the test again. Max’s hemoglobin was registering so low that it seemed like there could be an error with the lab test. Max’s hemoglobin was 2.3, while the normal range for a 1-year-old is 9.5-14. Hemoglobin is largely responsible for carrying oxygen to our organs and giving our bodies the energy to live.  

Upon further blood and genetic testing, is was discovered that Max had a very rare type of anemia called Diamond Blackfan Anemia. Only about 1 in 500,000 live births are diagnosed with this particular disease. Generally, anemia is a condition defined by a shortage of red blood cells or a lack of hemoglobin in the blood. This can lead to symptoms like fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath. Baby Max’s particular genetic variation meant that he would be dependent on consistent blood transfusions in order to live. 

D’Laci says Max needs about one blood transfusion per month to sustain normal growth. After receiving a transfusion and as each month progresses, D’Laci notices that Max becomes increasingly lethargic, lacking the desire to eat, and becomes irritable. The family has tried special trial treatments that did not yield the results they hoped for. The next step, in addition to maintaining frequent blood transfusions, was to investigate the option of a bone marrow transplant for Max. As luck would have it, his 5-year-old sister Ruby was a match. She was also very eager to help her brother.  

Max, or “Miracle Max” as his family and fan base lovingly call him, is two weeks post-transplant and doing well. Max and Ruby completed the bone marrow transplant at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, where Max will stay for the next several months under close observation to monitor for potential complications from the transplant. Mom, D’Laci, is a constant watchdog by his side.  

“He’s getting platelets now, since the (bone marrow) transplant wipes everything out,” says D’Laci. “I noticed on the bag that they use American Red Cross Blood.”  Max’s sister Ruby, now 6, also received a blood transfusion after she donated her bone marrow. Two weeks later, Mom states that Ruby is back in school and running around like nothing even happened. 

Before the bone marrow transplant, Max received 34 whole red blood cell transfusions. Mom recounts, “His life has been completely sustained by the blood transfusions for the past two years.”  

D’Laci is eager to spread awareness about anemia and the importance of donating blood. She details the positive changes seen in Max after each transfusion noting, “His skin color would improve, his appetite would increase, and his mood would improve.” The gratitude she and the rest of the family feel for these blood products is beyond words. D’Laci wants blood donors to know how much it means to her and her family to have a selfless and charitable donor community and “…how grateful we are to have our son.”  

It is clear that multiple blood transfusions from blood donors were pivotal in maintaining Max’s well-being and kept him healthy enough to make it to his bone marrow transplant, not to mention the blood transfusion given to his sister and donor. Please help ensure patients like Max have access to lifesaving blood products when they need them. Make an appointment to give at redcrossblood.org today.