Meet Our Champions

When 22-month-old Pierce spiked a fever and seemed unusually tired during a family camping trip, his parents assumed it was just another childhood bug. Within days, his condition worsened, and blood tests revealed the unthinkable: acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive form of blood cancer. "Our world was rocked," says his dad. "Everything flipped upside down." Pierce was rushed to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), a Children’s Miracle Network hospital, where the oncology team began emergency treatment. During his 115-day stay, he endured multiple rounds of chemotherapy, 31 platelet transfusions, and 15 blood transfusions. Because his leukemia was so aggressive, doctors determined his only chance was a bone marrow transplant. No family members matched, nor did anyone in the United States, so CHLA extended their search globally and identified a perfect 10-out-of-10 donor: a 31-year-old woman in France. Her marrow arrived within 48 hours. Ten days after the transplant, doctors began to see donor blood cells thriving. Forty days later, Pierce’s blood type changed to match hers, proof that her cells had fully taken hold. "We celebrate two birthdays every year," says his mom. "His regular birthday and his ‘blood birthday,’ the day his new marrow saved his life." When Pierce was discharged, he required 14 oral medications twice daily. Today, he’s medication-free, a thriving 10-year-old who plays soccer and baseball. Pierce’s family has since traveled to France to honor his donor. "We’re still in a place in humanity where we need to lean on others," says his dad. "Our son’s survival depended on a stranger halfway across the world."