MAPLE PLAIN, Minn. -- The family of a young leukemia patient KARE 11 has been following for the past several months has some good news to report.
Nine-year-old Owen Pilot is now cancer free following a stem cell transplant a couple months ago.
"I don't know how many times I've laid in a hospital bed," Owen said.
Diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at the age of three, the odds were stacked against Owen. He's been in out of hospitals most of his life, but things have dramatically changed.
"He got a perfect match. There was one perfect match in the whole world," said his mother Liz Pilot.
Somebody somewhere donated an umbilical cord after a mother gave birth. For six years, the cord had been in storage and, as it turned out, the blood matched Owen's exactly and he had a stem cell transplant.
The procedure took less than 10 minutes, but had its complications. Initially Owen showed allergic signs to the procedure.
"It was just so hard to breathe and I had this big gucky thing in my throat," said Owen as he demonstrated how he had to take deep breaths in and out.
Now more than 70 days removed from the procedure, there is not even the slightest hint of leukemia in his blood.
"What happens is the cells he has are really good right now, but he only has like fifty percent of the cells he needs to be normal," explained Liz.
Doctors told her Owen will be 100-percent in just a matter of time. For now, he has to keep germs at bay and wear a mask if he ventures out of the house. While Owen is never likely to meet his donor, he is extremely thankful.
"Thank you very much," said Owen. "I'm so glad you did it."
(Copyright 2012 KARE. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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What an amazing story...........MrCordBlood
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