For Broeden Sabin, a 17-year-old from Fall River, the holiday season was defined not by celebration, but by a diagnosis that shifted his world in an instant. On Dec. 22, doctors at Boston Children’s Hospital confirmed the presence of leukemia cells in his blood, following preliminary tests that revealed dangerously depleted white blood cell counts.
The diagnosis was acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aggressive cancer of the blood and bone marrow. For Broeden’s mother, Morss, the news was a “whirlwind” of fear and uncertainty. By the day after Christmas, Broeden had already begun the first phase of a brutal treatment regimen.
The standard of care for AML often involves a two-step process: high-dosage chemotherapy—described to the family as a “nuclear bomb of chemo”—followed by a bone marrow transplant to replace diseased marrow with healthy stem cells. Still, for Broeden, the second, most critical step has proven elusive. Despite global searches, no one has yet been found who fits his specific genetic profile, making the process of finding a bone marrow donor a desperate race against time.
The Genetic Challenge of Matching
Finding a compatible donor is not as simple as matching a blood type. Bone marrow compatibility is determined by human leukocyte antigens (HLA), a set of proteins on the surface of white blood cells. To avoid graft-versus-host disease—where the donor cells attack the recipient’s body—a patient ideally needs a “perfect genetic twin.”
While family members are often the best candidates, the Sabin family faced a series of disqualifying health complications. Although Broeden’s siblings shared similar genetic features, they were unable to donate. Morss herself was disqualified due to an autoimmune disease, which she notes was exacerbated by mold exposure in a previous home in Taunton.
Broeden’s search is further complicated by a rare genetic disorder that increases his risk of relapse, making a permanent, perfectly matched transplant even more urgent. According to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, an estimated 75 percent of patients requiring a bone marrow transplant cannot find a match within their own family, highlighting the critical need for a diverse and expansive public registry.
A Sequence of Setbacks: From Plan A to Plan D
The path to recovery for Broeden has been marked by a series of “knock downs,” leading the family to rely on increasingly risky alternatives as a primary match remained missing. The family’s efforts to secure a life-saving transplant have evolved through several contingency plans.
| Date | Event/Milestone | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Dec. 22 | Diagnosis | AML confirmed at Boston Children’s Hospital |
| Dec. 26 | Initial Treatment | High-dosage chemotherapy begins |
| March 2 | International Option | Stem cell plan in Israel canceled due to Iran War |
| March 23 | Intensive Phase | Start of intensive chemotherapy |
| April 3 | Alternative Transplant | Double unit umbilical cord blood transplant performed |
One promising avenue involved sending cord blood to Israel, a global leader in transfusion research, to create a specialized stem cell transplant. However, that option was canceled on March 2 following the outbreak of the Iran War. This left the family on what Morss calls “Plan D”: a double unit umbilical cord blood transplant.
This procedure, performed on April 3, was described as “absolutely grueling.” The process induced severe complications, including kidney problems and liver failure. While the transplant provided a temporary lifeline, the family remains focused on finding a bone marrow match. A marrow transplant is generally considered more robust and provides a higher level of security against the possibility of the cancer returning.
“I would experience much more safe walking around knowing that if he did have a relapse, we do have a match,” Morss said.
Expanding the Registry: How to Help
The struggle to find a match for Broeden has turned Morss into an advocate for blood disorder awareness. She emphasizes that many potential matches simply exist in the population but are unknown because they have not registered their DNA.
Through the DKMS registry, the world’s largest bone marrow donor center, individuals between the ages of 18 and 55 can join the database with a simple cheek swab. While a neighborhood drive recently registered 175 new people and nearly 1,800 individuals have ordered swab kits online in Broeden’s name, the process is only complete once the kits are mailed back to the lab.
Morss is also using Broeden’s experience to highlight the importance of umbilical cord blood donation. She noted that during her three pregnancies, she was never asked if she wanted to donate cord blood, a resource that eventually saved her son’s life. In Boston, institutions such as Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Beth Israel operate programs where expectant mothers can donate cord blood to help others in similar situations.
To date, a GoFundMe campaign launched in January has raised nearly $29,000 to assist the family with the mounting costs of care and travel. Despite the setbacks—including a canceled donor drive at Brown University due to campus security policies—the family continues to push for more registrations.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult a healthcare professional for medical concerns or guidance on donation.
As Broeden continues to recover from his cord blood transplant, his family remains vigilant. The next critical milestone will be the ongoing monitoring of his blood counts to ensure the transplant is holding and the continued search for a permanent marrow match in the global registry.
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