Ailing Boy Gets Transplant of Bone Marrow

THOUSAND OAKS — After more than a year spent battling a debilitating and potentially fatal blood disease, 3-year-old Steven Koss got a most cherished Christmas present this week: the gift of life.

The spunky tot underwent a bone marrow transplant Tuesday at UCLA Medical Center that doctors hope will cure him of aplastic anemia, a condition that prevents his body from producing enough red blood cells and platelets.

Steven beat the very long odds against finding a suitable donor earlier this month when three people listed on the National Bone Marrow Registry were identified as exact matches.

The blond-haired boy from Thousand Oaks entered the hospital last week to undergo sometimes painful rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatments to prepare his body for the transplant.

According to doctors and family members, the procedure went off without a hitch, and the prognosis for an active childhood is good.

But Steven won’t be heading home any time soon. He must remain in the hospital for three to six weeks so doctors can be certain that the transplanted marrow takes root and begins to produce the needed blood cells.