King and Mesiah Singh were born with a rare blood disease called glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase deficiency, G6PD. G6PD causes red blood cells to break down in response to certain medications, infections, or other stressors. There is no cure for this disease, so the only lifesaving treatment is a blood transfusion when the red cells break down from a trigger.
At age two, King was also diagnosed with high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a blood cancer. Thanks to over three years of chemotherapy treatment and numerous blood transfusions, King is now cancer-free. Today, King encourages his fellow community members to “stay strong and never give up.”
King and Mesiah are two brave little boys who have shown great strength in battling a rare disease requiring frequent transfusions. Their courage is an inspiration for us to make sure they and all of those who rely on donated blood can always get their transfusions when they need them.
