A Yukon family is fighting to save their child’s life after she was diagnosed with a rare condition at just two weeks old. Dotty Erway is now two months old and diagnosed with an immunodeficiency severe combined translation. Doctors said she had only 1 to 2 years to live and the only cure was a bone marrow transplant. Her parents, Bekah and Alex Erway, said even Dotty’s family members were genetically incompatible, but they hoped to find a dead one. Due to Dotty’s condition, she was born without an immune system. “The cold that you normally just fight off or don’t really bother you, but for her it would be life-threatening,” Bekah Erwaysaid. Her parents are keeping her and their two other children isolated at home until they can find a cure. “We feel so close to normal life. Her siblings have never been able to keep her because of this diagnosis,” says Bekah Erway. potential donors around the world. Alex Erway said: “They’ve reached everyone in Australia, Japan and the UK, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be a genetic match for Dotty. “Her condition and size and everything, it made it a bit more complicated, so we needed a really strong genetic fit,” said Alex Erway. They are continuing to search for the most compatible donor in Oklahoma.” There may be two or three donors, then Bekah Erway will contact those donors and there is no out-of-pocket cost for a donor. Bekah Erway said donors must be between the ages of 18 and 40. Bekah and Alex will be hosting a swab drive this Saturday at Saint Marks Methodist Church in Bethany from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. afternoon in the hope of giving their children a longer life.
A Yukon family is fighting to save their baby’s life after she was diagnosed with a rare condition at just two weeks old.
Dotty Erway is now two months old and diagnosed with severe combined immunodeficiency. Doctors said she had only one to two years to live.
The only cure is a bone marrow transplant. Her parents, Bekah and Alex Erway, said even Dotty’s family members are genetically incompatible, but they hope to find a donor.
Due to Dotty’s condition, she was born without an immune system.
“So she might have a mild cold that you normally just fight off or don’t really bother you, but for her it would be life-threatening,” said Bekah Erwaysaid.
Her parents are keeping her and their two other children isolated at home until they can find a cure.
“We just felt so close to normal life. Her siblings were never able to keep her because of this diagnosis,” said Bekah Erway.
They started looking for bone marrow donors through the nonprofit Be The Match, which helps families find potential donors around the world.
Alex Erway said.
They’ve reached people in Australia, Japan and the UK, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be a compatible genetic mix for Dotty.
Alex Erway said: “It’s not just anyone willing to donate that’s going to be a strong enough pair, because of Dotty’s other conditions and her size and everything, it makes it a bit more complicated, because So we need a really strong genetic match.
They are continuing to search for the most compatible sponsor in Oklahoma.
“If they find a sponsor, or maybe two or three sponsors, then Be The Match will contact those sponsors and the sponsor won’t have to pay out of pocket. Be The Match will take care of the expenses. travel or hotel expenses,” says Bekah Erway.
They said a donor must be between the ages of 18 and 40.
Bekah and Alex will be hosting a swab drive this Saturday at Saint Marks Methodist Church in Bethany from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in hopes of giving their child a longer life.
