BY A STAFF REPORTER
HOUSTON,TX - When 8-year-old Rushi Gandhi asked to join the baseball team with his friends last Spring, his doctors told him it was too dangerous. When he asked his parents to play soccer or join the running club in the Fall, the answer, again, was no. “It’s getting to him,” explains his mother, Nilima Gandhi. “I see him forcing himself to play on the computer trying to forget that he can’t do...
HOUSTON,TX - When 8-year-old Rushi Gandhi asked to join the baseball team with his friends last Spring, his doctors told him it was too dangerous. When he asked his parents to play soccer or join the running club in the Fall, the answer, again, was no. “It’s getting to him,” explains his mother, Nilima Gandhi. “I see him forcing himself to play on the computer trying to forget that he can’t do...
what other kids can. It’s hard as a parent to watch that, knowing his life could be in danger because of his medical condition.”
Diagnosed with Beta Thalassemia Major before birth, Rushi who live in league City,TX has had more than 200 blood transfusions and countless trips to the hospital while his doctors try to best handle his dangerous blood disorder. Beta Thalassemia Major, also called Cooley’s Anemia, is a severe form of anemia that inhibits the body’s red blood cells from delivering vital oxygen to organs. To manage the blood disorder, Rushi has to receive blood transfusions every three weeks.Rushi is being treated at Texas Children’s Hospital.
“His anxiety on transfusion days is very high,” Nilima said. “We often have to negotiate with him – promise him more time on his Xbox or his phone. We tell him he has to be strong. Now that he is older he understands more about why he feels so tired and doesn’t have the energy to do things.”
Unfortunately, this treatment is now causing additional risks. Rushi’s iron levels are extremely high as is common from people who receive so many transfusions. Too much iron buildup leads to increased risk of heart or liver failure. In addition, as a result of all the transfusions he’s had, Rushi has an enlarged spleen that could rupture – the main reason he is limited in enjoying many of the physical activities his peers enjoy. At times, Rushi’s heart will race for no apparent reason as his body reacts to his blood disorder.
Rushi’s greatest hope for a cure would be for him to receive a blood stem cell transplant. The problem? There is currently no genetic match for Rushi on the Be The Match Registry.
Rushi’s parents Kalpesh and Nilima are from the state of Gujarat in India. Rushi’s best chance of finding a compatible blood stem cell donor is from someone who has a similar ethnicity, specifically someone of South Asian descent. But of the 20 million potential donors on the Be The Match Registry, less than 300,000 – or only 1.3% - identify as South Asian. This means Indian patients like Rushi who urgently need a blood stem cell transplant to help them beat blood cancers like leukemia or a blood disorder only have a 38% chance of finding a life-saving match. Rushi’s parents are asking members of the Indian-American community to come together in support of their son and give him hope for a healthy future. It is easy to join the registry.
For now, while they wait, Rushi’s parents do the best they can to foster his interests so that their son can continue to dream big and succeed in the future. Like any typical third grader, Rushi loves playing popular video games like Roblox. He dreams of one day becoming a professional gamer – but his mom encourages him to stay open-minded. He excels in his schoolwork, and attends math enrichment classes at the end of each school day while his peers go to sports practice. He loves exotic cars and hopes to one day own a Lamborghini.
“He’s actually a daredevil by nature,” Nilima said. “We have taught him to ride a bike and roller skate, but we always have to make sure he is careful. He’d love to try out stunts, but we have to have him slow down, and seeing his disappointment hurts us as parents. We just want him to find a donor so he can be healthy.” Adults between the ages of 18 to 44 years old who are in generally good health can visit http://join.bethematch.org/marrowrushi and fill out a brief health history and request a swab kit be sent to their home. Simply swab the inside of your cheek and mail the kit back in the postage paid envelope. Within 6-8 weeks donors will receive their registration card – and if they are a match for Rushi or another patient, they will receive a call for further testing. Approximately 1 in 430 people on the Be The Match Registry go on to donate blood stem cells.
Diagnosed with Beta Thalassemia Major before birth, Rushi who live in league City,TX has had more than 200 blood transfusions and countless trips to the hospital while his doctors try to best handle his dangerous blood disorder. Beta Thalassemia Major, also called Cooley’s Anemia, is a severe form of anemia that inhibits the body’s red blood cells from delivering vital oxygen to organs. To manage the blood disorder, Rushi has to receive blood transfusions every three weeks.Rushi is being treated at Texas Children’s Hospital.
“His anxiety on transfusion days is very high,” Nilima said. “We often have to negotiate with him – promise him more time on his Xbox or his phone. We tell him he has to be strong. Now that he is older he understands more about why he feels so tired and doesn’t have the energy to do things.”
Unfortunately, this treatment is now causing additional risks. Rushi’s iron levels are extremely high as is common from people who receive so many transfusions. Too much iron buildup leads to increased risk of heart or liver failure. In addition, as a result of all the transfusions he’s had, Rushi has an enlarged spleen that could rupture – the main reason he is limited in enjoying many of the physical activities his peers enjoy. At times, Rushi’s heart will race for no apparent reason as his body reacts to his blood disorder.
Rushi’s greatest hope for a cure would be for him to receive a blood stem cell transplant. The problem? There is currently no genetic match for Rushi on the Be The Match Registry.
Rushi’s parents Kalpesh and Nilima are from the state of Gujarat in India. Rushi’s best chance of finding a compatible blood stem cell donor is from someone who has a similar ethnicity, specifically someone of South Asian descent. But of the 20 million potential donors on the Be The Match Registry, less than 300,000 – or only 1.3% - identify as South Asian. This means Indian patients like Rushi who urgently need a blood stem cell transplant to help them beat blood cancers like leukemia or a blood disorder only have a 38% chance of finding a life-saving match. Rushi’s parents are asking members of the Indian-American community to come together in support of their son and give him hope for a healthy future. It is easy to join the registry.
For now, while they wait, Rushi’s parents do the best they can to foster his interests so that their son can continue to dream big and succeed in the future. Like any typical third grader, Rushi loves playing popular video games like Roblox. He dreams of one day becoming a professional gamer – but his mom encourages him to stay open-minded. He excels in his schoolwork, and attends math enrichment classes at the end of each school day while his peers go to sports practice. He loves exotic cars and hopes to one day own a Lamborghini.
“He’s actually a daredevil by nature,” Nilima said. “We have taught him to ride a bike and roller skate, but we always have to make sure he is careful. He’d love to try out stunts, but we have to have him slow down, and seeing his disappointment hurts us as parents. We just want him to find a donor so he can be healthy.” Adults between the ages of 18 to 44 years old who are in generally good health can visit http://join.bethematch.org/marrowrushi and fill out a brief health history and request a swab kit be sent to their home. Simply swab the inside of your cheek and mail the kit back in the postage paid envelope. Within 6-8 weeks donors will receive their registration card – and if they are a match for Rushi or another patient, they will receive a call for further testing. Approximately 1 in 430 people on the Be The Match Registry go on to donate blood stem cells.
RSS Feed
