Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome Network Inc

Samantha Galauskas, a four-year old from Illinois and Shaila Lopez, a twenty-something mom from Florida, share a unique bond. Shaila has saved Samantha’s life three times by donating blood stem cells.

Samantha was diagnosed with Chediak-Higashi Syndrome (CHS) when she was 14 months old. CHS is a kind of cousin disorder to HPS. It involves albinism, a mild bleeding disorder much like HPS and an immunodeficiency that, in the cases of kids like Samantha, can lead to fatal infections without a bone marrow transplant.

      Samantha received her first bone marrow transplant from Shaila soon after she was diagnosed. Only two days before her second birthday, she was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia.  She wound up hospitalized with an unknown infection on her birthday which led to a second infusion of Shaila's stem cells. Once the infection passed, Samantha received the rest of the preserved stem cells from Shaila. Luckily, they engrafted while Shaila was preparing to donate more stem cells in case Samantha needed them.

      When Shaila signed up to be a bone marrow donor at a blood drive when she was a teen, she could have never imagined that five years later she’d get the call to save a little girl’s life.

      On March 10th, Samantha and her family got to meet Shaila in person at a special event in St. Petersburg, Fla. “Shaila is truly our hero!” says Samantha’s mom Jacki.

      Before, during and after the stem cell infusions Samantha has received many blood and platelet transfusions.

      Today Samantha’s mom Jacki reports she’s doing well and fighting off potential infections like any other little girl.