'Teddypalooza' boy to hear about marrow transplant

Two-year-old Teddy Christiansen - the star of June's Teddypalooza fundraiser in Des Plaines - will head to Minnesota Friday for a consultation for a future bone marrow transplant.

Unfortunately, all the members of Teddy's immediate family have been eliminated as potential donors, leaving the little boy dependent on an international bone marrow registry to find a match.

Teddy, whose twin brother Kenny died at 3 months, has a rare variant of an already rare genetic disorder called dyskeratosis congenita, which causes bone marrow to be incapable of producing enough blood cells.

His mother Jenny says there have been only about 38 people on record who have had exactly the same variant of the disorder that Teddy has.

The reason for the family's trip to the University of Minnesota this week is to meet with a doctor who has already treated some of them.

It remains unknown how quickly the doctor will recommend action be taken, but otherwise Teddy is looking forward to starting preschool and turning 3 at home next month.

Apart from the transfusions he must regularly receive, the main effect of his disorder so far has been delayed development. However, he has the same energy and playfulness of any child his age, his mother says.

The bone marrow registry contains records of the bone marrow type of people all over the world who have volunteered themselves as possible donors.

If a match is found, the right person would have to make their donation immediately before Teddy's own procedure. It's even possible the donor could live in another country and have volunteered as long ago as 20 years without ever being called on for a donation, Jenny said.

Teddy's 4-year-old sister, Raelyn, was thought to be a perfect match, but further tests have eliminated her from consideration.

Though Raelyn shows no current signs of Teddy's disorder, blood tests revealed a slight potential that she could be a carrier or develop symptoms herself later in life.