5-year-old cured of sickle cell after life-saving bone marrow transplant

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — After four years of battling a severe blood disease, five-year-old Zion Ortiz is finally free of sickle cell anemia.

Earlier this month, Zion underwent a successful bone marrow transplant in North Carolina after his family discovered that his 14-year-old half-sister, Marissa, was a donor match.

“This has been about four years in the making. So, the fact that we’re here -- we’re just over the moon,” said Zion’s mother, Taniqua Bates.

Marissa proved to be a “haplo-identical” match after a swab test in April revealed she shared half of Zion’s genetic markers, a type of match often found within families.

“She was a rock star and harvested a beautiful amount of cells for Zion -- over the recommended cell dosage,” Bates said. “She obviously feels honored to be that hero for her brother.”

Zion’s recovery hasn’t been easy. He’s experiencing side effects such as hair loss, oral mucositis and reliance on a feeding tube. Still, his mother said the challenges are minor compared to what he’s already overcome.

“Zion has had two brain surgeries and too many hospital admissions to count. He’s had over 50 blood transfusions,” Bates shared. “To watch him go through all of this and still be himself—he’s just so resilient. I’m proud to be his mom.”

Bates says Zion will be discharged next week and continue recovering at the Ronald McDonald House in North Carolina before the family returns home to Richmond.