Shiyanna Ruiz

ENG 101-21
Dr. Wynne
30 November 2016

Persuasive Letter

Shiyanna Ruiz
Hampton University
Moton Hall 405
Hampton, VA 23668
November 30, 2016
Dr. Scott Miller, M.D.
Childrens Hospital at Downstate
450 Clarkson Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11203
Dear Dr. Scott Miller, M.D.,
You ever think to yourself, is it worth it to continue fighting? Sickle Cell Anemia patients
have been through an infinite amount of setbacks, trial, and tribulations as I would know myself.
Going through a countless amount of hours in the emergency room and hospital isnt much fun.
Most patients need blood transfusions frequently when in pain crises just so it can help the
oxygen flow throughout their body. Besides a blood transfusion there is a list of risk that come
along with the disease. Risk like a stroke, acute chest syndrome, osteonecrosis, organ damage
and the list goes on. Therefore, I believe that Bone Marrow Transplants (BMT) are the safest and
best option to cure children with Sickle Cell Anemia so that they will not have to go through the
complications of the disease much longer.
I have the harshest form of Sickle Cell Anemia called SS. I often find myself pondering
the question, is it worth it to fight through the pain of this disease or should I have a bone
marrow transplant which will end sickle cell for the rest of my life? This is a question I continue
to ask myself every day. According to St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, the main risk of a
BMT is Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) which is when the immune cells of your donor get a
sense that the cells of the patient are different and attacks them. Chemotherapy is another risk
that impacts a patient heavily. Chemotherapy causes the stomach and intestines to become really
sensitive to nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, diarrhea, and having a loss of appetite that usually
lead to nutrition problems. It is also believed that chemotherapy is the cause of veno-occlusive
disease. Having a Bone Marrow Transplant does come with quite a few risks itself, but has an
extremely good outcome overall.
Imagine that your child has Sickle Cell Anemia and they are fighting for their lives every
day. there in fact is something you can do to help and that is to give them a Bone Marrow
Transplant. A Bone Marrow Transplant is the safest and best option to cure children with Sickle
Cell Anemia while they are still young. According to WebMD, Stem Cell Transplant for Sickle
Cell Disease, this cure has been successful in about 85 out of 100 children who have had

transplants. It is found to be the safest cure yet, as opposed to other treatments that just reduce
the complications and risk of the disease. St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital was the first
organization to find this cure for sickle cell and in 1982, a patient of theirs who had sickle cell
and leukemia underwent this procedure and is now fully cured from both diseases.
The benefits of a BMT can throw many thoughts of second guessing out of the window.
Benefits such as having a new healthy bone marrow that can now prevent further damage from
the disease. Not having to be in the hospital every month for a pain crisis ever again is another
plus. You can now go to the pool/beach, lay in the sun, and travel all around the world without an
oxygen tank. Playing in the snow as much as you want and just living your life freely not having
to worry about how it will affect your illness. I would trade sickle cell anemia for this any day
now.
Sincerely,
Shiyanna Ruiz
Works Cited
Bone Marrow (Stem Cell) Transplant for Sickle Cell Disease. St. Jude Childrens Research
Hospital Departments of Hematology, Patient Education, and Biomedical Communications., St.
Jude Research Hospital, Web., 2009,
https://www.stjude.org/content/dam/en_US/shared/www/patient-support/hematologyliterature/bone-marrow-stem-cell-transplant-for-sickle-cell-disease.pdf . 30 Nov 2016.
Sickle Cell Anemia. Sickle Cell Anemia Complications-Mayo Clinic. Web. 11 June 2014
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sickle-cell-anemia/basics/complications/con20019348 . 30 Nov 2016.
Stem Cell Transplant for Sickle Cell Disease. WebMD. Web. 20 Feb. 2015
http://www.webmd.com/cancer/bone-marrow-transplant-for-sickle-cell-disease . 30 Nov 2016.