Do matched siblings often decide not to donate?
My husband received a stem cell transplant for MDS a few months ago. His doctor wants to do a donor lymphocyte infusion. The doctor is concerned that relapse risk may be high due to low percentage of donor T cells in his blood and marrow (low T cell chimerism). His sister, who donated the initial stem cells, says she does not want to go through apheresis again.
I feel very grateful for the donation she made, but her new decision has left me numb and hurt. I know it could greatly shorten my husbands life if relapse occurs. We have young children. We are at a critical point in the transplant process.
Does it happen often that matched siblings donors decide not to donate stem cells through apheresis? How do people cope?
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