The Bone Marrow Garden

With the help of Dr. David Margolis, Program Director of Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin’s Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant Program, AA&MDSIF presents an explanation of  bone marrow failure, the treatments, side effects, and activity restrictions in The Bone Marrow Garden, a video and slide presentation created especially for children.

Dr. Dave explains the function of each type of blood cell, what causes stem cells to be attacked and destroyed, and how treatments like ATG and bone marrow transplant work. He gives examples of practical questions children can ask to better understand the impact treatment will have on their daily life and activities using terms they will understand.

Although most of the attention is on aplastic anemia, which most often strikes children and adolescents, other bone marrow failure diseases including MDS and PNH are also mentioned, as is leukemia.

The Bone Marrow Garden helps to make bone marrow failure diseases understandable to children and parents.

Watch the presentation.

Download companion activity sheets and word search puzzle (pdf).

This page generously sponsored by Rhona's Place Foundation and a gift from Liberty Mutual Insurance Group in honor of Coach of the Year, Tim Beck, who dedicates this gift to his nephew, Bradley Richard, a 12-year aplastic anemia survivor.