Countywide : Michelle Carew Will Undergo a New Therapy

Michelle Carew, who in November was found to be suffering a fatal form of leukemia and has been unable to find a bone marrow transplant donor who matches her genetic makeup, will undergo a cord blood transplant operation Friday.

Friday’s operation, an emerging therapy for cancer patients, will involve an infusion of stem cells from an umbilical cord.

The decision to undergo the cord transplant operation came when her physician, Dr. Mitchell Cairo of Children’s Hospital of Orange County, was able to find a good genetic match from an unrelated cord blood unit from the New York Blood Center. Michelle Carew will be the eighth patient at Children’s Hospital to receive a cord blood transplant.

Carew, 18--whose father, baseball Hall of Fame member Rod Carew, has been publicly pleading for people to donate bone marrow for his youngest child and other cancer victims--has endured 14 operations since being admitted to the hospital in September.

Michelle Carew’s genetic background as the daughter of a black man with West Indian and Panamanian roots and a white woman of Russian-Jewish descent has made it difficult to find a bone marrow donor.

Rod Carew said his daughter was afraid but in good spirits awaiting Friday’s operation.

“When she was diagnosed, she said all she wanted was a chance,” said Carew, who has brought the issue of bone marrow donations to the national spotlight. “After getting people involved to become marrow donors, and not being successful [at finding a perfect match], we see this as a start. Hopefully, this will be her chance. She is my little hero.”