Marrow Miracle Saves Young Boy's Life

Los Angeles - Never take "no" for an answer... that's what one dad wants other parents to know after five hospitals gave up on his son. Nate Oxford is alive today because of persistent parents, doctors willing to try something new, and a big brother who was a bone marrow match.

FOX 11's Carlos Amezcua has the story in the video report.

Nate Oxford was diagnosed with Medullablastoma -- cancer of the brain and spine -- when he was two years old. After aggressive treatment with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation he was declared cancer free. Just 17 days after his remission started, Nate suddenly went blind and collapsed. His brain tumor had returned and spread to his bones via his bone marrow.

At the time of the recurrence, Nate's prognosis was 3 weeks to live. Dad Wes Oxford contacted children's hospitals in Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, Boston and Memphis. All said there was nothing they could do.

Dr. Jonathan Finlay at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles had a different take. He had the whole famliy tested and discovered big brother Jake, 9, was a perfect bone marrow match. About a year ago, Nate was admitted to CHLA's Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, where he received extrodrinarily high doses of chemotherapy. It killed most of his cancer, as well as his own bone marrow.

At Nate's weakest moment, he was infused with his brother Jake's healthy bone marrow and recovery began.

It's been 6 months since treatment ended and recent tests show Nate is cancer free. He is learning to walk and talk again. Doctors now believe immune cells from Jake's marrow are still at work in Nate, killing off rogue cancer cells the chemotherapy may have missed.

Because of the success of Nate's treatment, other children have been approved by their insurance companies to undergo the same protocol.

To Learn more about Dr. Jonathan Finlay's research into bone marrow transplantation to help brain and spinal cord tumor patient recover from chemotherapy go to: chla.org/site/c.ipINKTOAJsG/b.4347873/k.72B6/Brain_and_Spinal_Tumors.htm

If you're interested in being a bone marrow donor, you can learn more about the National Marrow Donor Program at marrow.org.