The making of a miracle: Sister preparing to be donor 22 years after cancer diagnosis

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE/Gray News) - The sister of a woman who was diagnosed with cancer years ago is preparing to be a bone marrow donor to help save the life of her sister.

At 22 years old, Teagan Morrison is the youngest of three sisters.

To say that her parents planned for her to be an addition to the family is a big understatement.

“I’ve known for all my life, for as long as I can remember, that this was a possibility and that was something that was planned, you know, before I was born,” she said.

According to the sisters’ mother, Kinsey Morrison was 5 years old when she was diagnosed with leukemia. She was then diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia, a rare and serious condition where bone marrow does not produce enough new blood cells and platelets.

According to the NIH, about two out of every 1 million people in the United States are diagnosed with aplastic anemia each year.

“It’s kind of been lurking in the background,” Teagan Morrison said. “I know that it is a possibility that I can give my best friend a cure. I said I don’t want to cry; it’s just like a no-brainer.”

When she was diagnosed more than 20 years ago, doctors said the outlook for Kinsey Morrison was grim as she had only weeks to live.

“We were told she needed a bone marrow transplant,” Karen Morrison said. “We couldn’t find a donor for her anywhere in the world.”

But Karen Morrison would not give up, and the family eventually came up with an idea to find a match.

“So, we created one with Teagan,” Karen Morrison.

The family prayed to have another baby, hoping that she could be a match for Kinsey Morrison.

Teagan was born 22 years ago in the same way her sisters were born: with the help of IVF.

After the birth of Kinsey Morrison and her younger sister Jillian, Karen Morrison had planned on having no more children.

“I’d had a hysterectomy,” she said. “I knew I couldn’t have more children.”

The day was saved by Karen Morrison’s sister, who stepped up to carry the fertilized egg saved at the fertility clinic.

“My sister served as my surrogate,” Karen Morrison said.

The chance of a sibling being a perfect match for a bone marrow transplant is 25%. The family already learned Jillian Morrison had not been a match for her sister.

Karen Morrison’s sister went through the challenges presented by IVF and the pregnancy itself as the entire family went through uncertainty. After the birth of Teagan Morrison, the family had her tested.

Karen Morrison said they got the results back from the doctor, who confirmed Teagan Morrison was a “perfect match.”

Kinsey Morrison was interviewed 22 years ago for a WAVE story after the birth of her sister.

“Well, I feel she is gonna save my life, and she’s just a wonderful little miracle,” she said at the time.

The match was yet another miracle, but not the last.

“When I was 6, my counts went back up just a little bit, and so my doctor said, ‘Let’s wait to get the transplant,’” Kinsey Morrison said.

The family was worried after hearing about Kinsey Morrison’s chances of not surviving the disease. They did not think waiting would be an option recommended by the doctor.

“My counts went up a bit more, and for 20 plus years, they’ve stayed stable enough that I didn’t actually have to have the transplant,” Kinsey Morrison said.

Stable enough was a welcome diagnosis for the Morrison family. Kinsey Morrison had the chance to grow up, live and get married.

“I had been to far more funerals than weddings because of the impact this illness has had on my life and the kids that I’ve met through it who did not make it,” Kinsey Morrison said.

Looking at becoming a bride herself, Kinsey Morrison began thinking of planning her own family. She looked at healthcare first.

“That’s when we found out I would need a transplant this fall from my sister, who’s a perfect match,” Kinsey Morrison said.

That transplant will come from Teagan Morrison, Kinsey’s perfect match made 22 years ago.

Her sister, Teagan, was a perfect match made 22 years ago.

“I’m grateful to my sister for having Teagan,” Karen Morrison said. “For Teagan saving Kinsey.”

Teagan Morrison is now preparing to donate her blood marrow, while Kinsey Morrison prepares to receive the transplant.

After that, Kinsey Morrison and her husband will face their own challenges involving IVF. Radiation and chemotherapy in the transplant process can cause infertility, so Kinsey Morrison made sure to have her eggs frozen in the hope that she can be a mother one day.

“I think if anybody would survive something like this and come out stronger than ever on the other side, it would definitely be Kinsey,” Teagan Morrison said.

Unfortunately, Kinsey Morrison is facing more than a physical battle, as the financial toll has been high as well.

She will go through chemo and radiation as her cells are killed to prepare her body for her sister’s cells from the bone marrow.

She will have to take items never used before into isolation so as not to contaminate or infect herself with germs of any kind. Her hairbrush, lotion, clothing, toothbrush, and everything else in her isolation area must be new.

Anyone wishing to support Kinsey Morrison financially can buy things from her Amazon Wishlist.

Karen and Kinsey Morrison are expected to be isolated for a number of months before Kinsey can be reunited with her husband. Eventually, she can slowly reintegrate with the rest of her family.