b'After life-saving gift, sibling bond plays out at HeidelbergBy Angela GilesMiracles do happen. Just ask the Arellano family. When their youngestSo the entire family was tested. After what seemed like an excruciatingly child, Asia, was about a year old, she had a troubling, persistent rash. Along wait, they received miraculous news.week after an initial doctor visit, she was taken in for blood work. A dayAsias oncologist came into the room and told us, We have a match! later, her parents, Sandy and Matt Arellano, received a phone call thatAlexander! would rock them to their core. That was in March 2002; Asia had her bone marrow transplant that July. Mom got a call to bring Asia back to a hospital immediately because theyAlex was 5 years old. At that tender age, he doesnt remember much feared she had leukemia, recalls Heidelberg University junior basketballfrom the surgery except Anthony pushing him in a wheelchair from the player Alex Arellano, the middle of three Arellano children.hospital to the car. But he was old enough to understand one thing: He The diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia confirmed, Asia began a harshjust wanted his little sister to get better. I had only known her being sick, chemotherapy regimen to prepare her small body for the bone marrowhe said. I just wanted her to come home.transplant that would be required to save her life. She was hospitalized for 11-1/2 months in pediatric oncology units at Dayton Childrens and Cincinnati Childrens hospitals. Sandy stayed with her young daughter around the clock while Matt took care of Alex and oldest son Anthony at home. The family reconnected on the weekends when Asia was feeling well. As a family, we talked every night to keep our bond strong, Sandy said. We changed our lives around tremendously but it was worth it to try to keep some normalcy for our children. Our family is definitely worth it.Doctors had informed Sandy and Matt early on that Asias best chance for survival would be a bone marrow transplant from an immediate family member. We were told the chances were unfortunately slim to find an immediate family match, but it was the best option and thats just what she had to have, said Sandy. The Arellano Family (L-R): Alex, Sandy, Matt, Asia and Anthony24|Heidelberg University Bulletin'