Hank Heacock's Story
"When Hank's doctor realized I was pregnant, she suggested saving the baby's cord blood. I was never given that option for any of our other children."
- Diane Heacock
Terrifying news
Hank Heacock was 18 years old when he underwent the stem cell transplant that saved his life. Ten years later, his mother Diane remembers the experience as if it happened yesterday.
"The news was terrifying," said Diane. Two months pregnant at the time, Diane somehow managed to make childcare arrangements for their four daughters, ages 2 through13. They threw a few things in a suitcase and headed to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) with Hank.
The best of both worlds
Doctors at CHOP confirmed the diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. "Stepping onto that oncology ward with our son was like walking into another world," said Diane.
When one of Hank's doctors found out that Diane was pregnant, she suggested banking the newborn's cord blood with Cord Blood Registry. "I was never given that option before. I wish we had known about it for our other children," says Diane.
Hank underwent a grueling regime of chemotherapy treatments that lasted for three long years. When it became evident that Hank needed a bone marrow transplant, the entire family was tested. Hank's two youngest siblings Jessica, age 5, and David, almost 2, were matches for Hank.
Although Jessica was older and could donate more bone marrow, David was the donor of choice because of his banked cord blood. Doctors wanted to use the cord blood because it offers improves transplant outcomes and results in fewer side effects, but wanted to supplement the cord blood with bone marrow to ensure an adequate stem cell supply. Hank's doctors said he would be receiving the "best of both worlds."
David saves his big brother
Hank had been in the hospital for almost a month when David came in to have his bone marrow harvested. While Hank underwent the last of six body irradiation treatments, doctors extracted David's bone marrow. Hank was given an IV transfusion of David's bone marrow cells, and the cord blood stem cells on the following day. "The minute or two it took to inject those precious cord blood cells became crucial to our son's health," said Diane.
The road to recovery
Two days after the transplant, Hank was already showing signs that his white blood cells were starting to engraft. He continued to improve but still required frequent visits to the hospital and suffered from a mild case of graft vs. host disease, a common transplant complication. "I was grateful that David's stem cells were a perfect match for Hank. I've seen other transplant cases with unrelated donors who had much worse side effects," explained Diane.
The close-knit family came together during Hank's slow but steady recovery. Everyone helped with everyday chores like cooking and cleaning. "Our friends prayed with us, cried with us, and fasted for us," said Diane. The family soon learned that difficult times often brought people closer together. "Each child contributed in a really special way," added Diane.
Blood brothers
Today, Hank is healthy and active. He and his brother share a relationship that is special in more ways than one. Both of them love peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches and enjoy watching old John Wayne movies. Like so many, Diane and Henry Heacock never thought that childhood cancer would happen to their family. "Everyone should learn that cord blood is a great source of stem cells and that it could save a life."
