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Florida mother’s stem cells cure twin sons’ sickle cell disease

Twins received bone marrow transplant at AdventHealth for Children in Orlando

Marelyn Salgado with her twin sons Aaron and Ryan, both 7 years old. (Courtesy photo) (AdventHealth for Children)

ORLANDO, Fla. – A Mother’s Day miracle is giving a set of South Florida twins a second chance at life.

AdventHealth sent News 6 video of Marelyn Salgado, whose donation saved her twin boys’ lives.

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The Palm Beach Gardens mother said her 7-year-old sons, Aaron and Ryan, were diagnosed with sickle cell disease. According to Dr. Susan Kelly, medical director for pediatric cellular therapy at AdventHealth for Children, the disease is a debilitating illness that the boys had almost died from.

Salgado proved her love has no boundaries, donating her own stem cells to treat her sons’ disease.

The boys received the bone marrow transplants during treatments in March and April, and Dr. Kelly said both of them are now cured of the disease.

AdventHealth said what made the treatments so impactful is how sickle cell disease typically does not affect people of Hispanic origins, with only 10% of cases impacting that demographic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Salgado said she is grateful for the care her family received, adding that her boys can now live a normal life.