When she was 18 months old, Maddie Weimer broke out in red spots all over her belly and back.

We werent really worried, said Maddies mom, Stacey Weimer, a 29-year-old bank teller supervisor who lives in Phoenix. She had never been sick and had no sign of illness.

Still, Weimer took Maddie to the doctor to be sure. Blood tests revealed that her platelet and neutrophil counts were low, but doctors at Phoenix Childrens Hospital ruled out leukemia.

A huge weight was lifted off shoulders, said Weimer. But that was short-lived.

Weeks later in April 2012, additional blood tests and a biopsy led to a frightening diagnosis -- Maddie had myelodysplastic syndrome or MDS, the same rare blood disorder that struck ABCs Robin Roberts.

MDS, which can lead to leukemia, is even rarer in children, according to the American Cancer Society.

Weimer was told the only option for Maddies survival was a bone marrow transplant, she said. But unlike Roberts, whose sister Sally-Ann was a perfect match, Maddie had no siblings and none of her relatives were compatible.

Robin Roberts' Journey: Inside Her Courageous Fight Against MDS

Why is Bailey Personette a hometown hero?

Now 3 years old, Maddie is in remission thanks to Bailey Personette, who in 2011 volunteered to be a bone marrow donor at a fair held at Purdue University in Indiana.

Read the original here:
Toddler Meets Life-Saving Bone Marrow Donor

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