SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — At just 9 years old, Kamila Saradpon already knows what it takes to tackle challenges head on.
Her father Kris said, “She’s the bravest girl I know, and I always tell her that."
And it’s Kamila’s bravery that her parents say she was born with. At just two months old, Kamila was diagnosed with beta thalassemia, a rare blood disorder that required blood transfusions every three weeks.
But the frequent transfusions would only be the beginning of the family’s journey. With each blood transfusion Kamila received, the more difficult it became to make sure she got the right type.
“Because she's had so many different types, she's starting to develop antibodies which decreases her donor pool of who she can get donations safely,” said Kamila’s mother, Maria.
And that’s where the San Diego Blood Bank’s precision expansion comes in. The Blood Bank’s new testing process screens blood that’s donated to accurately determine if the blood is compatible based on the blood type and the antigens.
Mark Edmunds with the San Diego Blood Bank said, “Even though technology has existed - the degree of information that we get using this process as well as the ability to type so many donors in patients is what's really groundbreaking.”
And while Kris and Maria pray and wait for a cure, they say seeing their daughter thrive is enough to keep them fighting until that day comes.
“If we're both down, we just look at our beautiful daughter and we just think she's been through so much already. It's not fair to her if we mope and become cynical and negative; that doesn't do any good for anyone,” said Kris.
