Hank's Story

“When Hank’s doctor realized I was pregnant, she suggested saving the baby’s cord blood. I was never given that option for any of our other children.”
---Diane Heacock, mother of Hank, cured of leukemia with a cord blood transplant

Leukemia Strikes
Hank Heacock was eighteen years old when he underwent the stem cell transplant that saved his life. His mother Diane remembers the experience, as if it happened yesterday.

Diane and Henry Heacock of Cape May Court House, New Jersey grew increasingly concerned when Hank, the eldest of the couple’s six children was always tired, lost his appetite, and started to run a fever. When he fainted in the bathroom they immediately rushed Hank to the doctor. Blood work at the local hospital confirmed the Heacock’s worst fears. Hank had leukemia.

“The news was terrifying,” said Diane. Two months pregnant at the time Diane somehow managed to make childcare arrangements for their four daughters, ages two through thirteen. They threw a few things in a suitcase and headed to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) with Hank.

The Best of Both Worlds
Doctors at CHOP confirmed the diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. “Stepping onto that Oncology ward with our son was like walking into another world,” said Diane.

When one of Hank’s doctors found out that Diane was pregnant, she suggested banking the newborn’s cord blood with Cord Blood Registry. “I was never given that option before. I wish we had known about it for our other children,” explained Diane.

Hank underwent a grueling regime of chemotherapy treatments that lasted for three long years. When it became evident that Hank needed a bone marrow transplant, the entire family was tested. Hank’s two youngest siblings Jessica, age 5 and David, almost 2, were matches for Hank. Although Jessica was older and could donate more bone marrow, David was the donor of choice because of his banked cord blood. Doctors wanted to use the cord blood because it offers improved transplant outcomes and fewer side effects, but also wanted to supplement the cord blood with bone marrow to ensure an adequate stem cell supply. Hank’s doctors said he would be receiving the “best of both worlds.”

David Saves His Big Brother
Eighteen-year-old Hank had been in the hospital for almost a month when two-year-old David came in to have his bone marrow harvested. While Hank underwent the last of six total body irradiation treatments, doctors extracted David’s bone marrow. Hank was then given an IV transfusion of David’s bone marrow cells, while his younger brother recovered in another room. Hank received David’s cord blood stem cells on the following day. “The minute or two it took to inject those precious cord blood cells became crucial to our son’s health,” said Diane.

The Road to Recovery
Two days after the transplant and Hank was already showing signs that his white blood cells were starting to engraft. He continued to improve but still required frequent visits to the hospital and suffered from a mild case of Graft Vs Host disease, a common transplant complication. “I was grateful that David’s stem cells were a perfect match for Hank. I’ve seen other transplant cases with unrelated donors who had much worse side effects,” explained Diane.

Hank’s slow but steady recovery took its toll on the close knit family. Everyone helped with everyday chores like cooking and cleaning. Members of the family’s church were a constant source of emotional and spiritual support. “Our friends prayed with us, cried with us, and fasted for us,” said Diane. The family soon learned that difficult times often brought people closer together. “Each child contributed in a really special way,” added Diane.

Blood Brothers
Now twenty, Hank is fully recovered. He’s a healthy and active young man, who doesn’t mind sharing a room with his kid brother. Both of them love peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches, enjoy watching old John Wayne movies, and share a relationship that is special in more ways than one, “After four sisters, God knew I needed a brother. Do we have a special bond? Yeah, now we’re blood brothers,” said Hank.

Like so many people, Diane and Henry Heacock never thought that childhood cancer would happen to them. When it did, love and their faith in God is what pulled them through. “Everyone should learn that cord blood is a great source of stem cells and that it saves lives. Yet, we know that God healed our son,” said Diane. He just used the cord blood stem cells to do it.”

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