In March 2022, Mary Hermann and her fiancé, Travis, brought their son, Jameson, to the doctor for what they thought was just a cold and red spotting on his face. Little did they know it would mark the beginning of an incredibly painful journey.
Feeling helpless
Bloodwork revealed that Jameson’s platelets were low and Mary and Travis were told to take him to the emergency room immediately.
Several tests and doctor visits later, they heard the news no parent wants to hear—their precious little boy had severe aplastic anemia, a rare but serious blood disorder that occurs when the bone marrow can’t make enough new blood cells for the body to work normally. He needed a blood stem cell transplant to save his life.
Mary said she was in an awful place emotionally. “I couldn’t do anything to fix it. I couldn’t donate my blood stem cells to him—it was very difficult.”
Finding hope
Fortunately, Jameson had multiple 10/10 perfectly matched potential donors on the Be The Match Registry®. And in July 2022, he received his stem cell transplant—and his second chance at life. “He handled his transplant so well—better than I could’ve,” Mary shared.
Today, Jameson is a healthy and thriving five-year-old. He loves Super Mario Bros.™ and playing outside. “He could be at the playground all day!” said Mary. “We got our baby boy back.”
Giving hope
In order to ensure others are given the same opportunity as Jameson received, Mary is planning a 5K walk September 23 at a local park to raise funds for Be The Match®. “I’m hoping the event just gets bigger and bigger every year,” she said.
Now that Jameson is healthy, Mary wants to show others what can be possible with a blood stem cell transplant. “We want to give hope to families going through this same fight and reassure them that there are people rooting for them,” Mary said. “There is a light at the end of the tunnel.”
You can help Mary and her team reach their goal by making a tax-deductible gift in any amount today to their 5K fundraiser for Be The Match. Or create a fundraiser of your own to give hope to more families like Mary’s.