GLENWOOD, Iowa (KMTV) - The mother of a Glenwood boy in need of a bone marrow donor is giving 3 News Now an exclusive update.
Abe Kuhnert-Hill is 6 years old and diagnosed with a rare and serious blood disorder called Fanconi anemia. His family has been looking for a donor to save his life and his mother is happy to report they have found more than a few matches.
"We got a phone call about a few weeks ago saying they have found 10 near-perfect matches and 300 good matches from the National and International Registry and then we have narrowed it down to where we do have a couple getting set up to donate their bone marrow to go towards Abe," Abe's mother Nikki Hill said.
Hill calls the search for Abe's bone marrow donor an "emotional roller coaster."
"It's very stressful, in not being able to do it myself. It's heartbreaking I can't help my son," Hill said. "We have to rely on anybody that is willing to donate whatever it is, their blood, platelets, bone marrow, whatever."
Abe relies on blood and platelet donations to get by but the Red Cross is facing a blood shortage. Abe's family is already feeling a sense of urgency at the hospital when Abe was getting his routine platelet transfusion.
"We got told that the blood bank is having issues trying to track down platelet unit of his blood type to be able to let him have it. They gave us a few more hours of waiting. We finally got those platelets. There are people getting turned away waiting the next 12-24 hours just to be able to get the blood they need," Hill said.
Hill doesn't know what the future holds for Abe but she stands firm in love, the kindness of others, and in motherly love.
"I have a lot of hope now with those bone marrow donors wanting to come in and help, that gives me a lot of hope, knowing I could have many more years with Abe compared to the six years I had with him. It means a lot to me, means a lot to my family," Hill said.
Starting mid-September, Abe will be admitted into the hospital to start the bone marrow transplant process.
