Deena Back in School is a current news article about an eight-year old California girl.

As Deena got sicker and weaker, the family took a risk and flew the girl's 24-year-old birth mother in from Thailand for a transplant. She was the only one they'd found who had come close to a match.

Deena Bhavindhu is an eight year old Redding California adoptee who has been recovering from a bone marrow transplant for the past year. She recently was allowed to go back to school and doctors now say that she is fully recovered. Deena was critically ill a year ago, and her chances for survival were bleak.

Little Deena has a rare blood disorder that has required weekly platelet transfusions nearly all her short life. A year ago, doctors were not certain that she would survive to her next birthday. However, when her birth mother was tested, it was determined that she would be a good candidate to provide bone marrow to her daughter.

Does this story sound like the recent Grey's Anatomy story line? Interesting coincidence, huh? Deena's birth mother, as mentioned above was flown in from Thailand and provided marrow for her daughter's transplant. Deena still had a 50-50 chance of the bone marrow transplant being successful, and had to endure a year of recuperation after the transplant.

Deena's parents were fortunate to have been able to find her birth mother and arrange for the bone marrow transplant. This story might have a very different outcome for many adoptees in closed adoptions. Finding a birth parent in time to obtain needed medical history might often come too late.

Some adoptive parents are able to get accurate and complete medical information when the adoption occurs. However, if medical information is not updated, it will not be as useful.

Criticially ill adoptees are still even in the year 2007 refused access to their adoption records. Medical history is the least piece of information that any child who is adopted should have. Can medical history and/or access to birth parent records (or birthparents) save a child's life? Ask Deena's adoptive parents.

Suggested Reading:

An Adoptee/Obstetrician's view on open records.

Medical History.



Photo by Jan Baker 2007