Chapter 6 - The True Match
The press conference in the hospital lobby sent shockwaves through the financial sector, but inside the private wing, the atmosphere turned entirely toward a different kind of battle—the fight for Claire's survival.
"The aplastic anemia has progressed rapidly due to the stress and lack of proper treatment," Dr. Vance explained later that afternoon. "Immunosuppressants won't work anymore, Julian. She needs a bone marrow transplant. And she needs it within the next two weeks, or her organs will begin to shut down from the chronic lack of oxygenated blood."
"Test me," I said immediately, rolling up my sleeve. "Test the twins. Test anyone."
"You won't be a match, Julian; you aren't related by blood," Dr. Vance said gently. "And the twins are only five years old. Legal and medical ethics strictly prohibit harvesting bone marrow from toddlers unless it is an absolute, extreme last resort with no alternative donors."
"Then find an alternative," I demanded. "Search the global registry. I’ll pay whatever it takes. Fly a donor in from anywhere in the world."
"We're already searching," the doctor promised. "But Claire’s specific HLA markers are incredibly rare because of her lineage. The probability of finding an unrelated match on the public registry in two weeks is less than ten percent."
I walked back into Claire’s room, my mind racing. She was awake now, sitting propped up against the pillows, her face looking incredibly small. Lucas and Owen were sitting on the edge of the mattress, showing her a drawing they had made of a giant, golden star.
"Look, Aunt Claire!" Owen chirped. "It’s the star from the song! It’s gonna watch over you so you don't feel sick anymore."
Claire smiled, her eyes shining with a deep, maternal love that caught in my throat. She reached out, her thin, bruised arms pulling both boys into a gentle hug. "Thank you, my sweet boys. It’s the most beautiful star I’ve ever seen."
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I looked at the scene, the realization hitting me like a physical blow. The boys carried Evelyn's blood. Half of their genetic code came directly from the same pool that created Claire.
"Dr. Vance," I called out, stepping back into the hallway. "The twins. They are half-matches by default because of Evelyn. Can a haploidentical transplant work?"
