Fort Cavazos Soldier donates bone marrow to baby in need

FORT CAVAZOS, Texas - In 2022, Sgt. Dalia Javiel Kesterson signed up for bone marrow donor registry through Salute to Life online, not thinking much of it. Over time, it was promptly forgotten until April, when Kesterson finally got the call, saying she was a match.

To her, the choice was simple.

"I said, 'Yeah, I'll do it,'" said Kesterson, deputy master of ceremonies, Secretary of the General Staff, III Armored Corps. "When I found I matched, I was like, 'Well, I already signed up.' They (the family) already got told that they got a match so why not? What's two weeks in bed going to do to me?"

Her match was an infant girl less than a year old, Kesterson said, and she needed bone marrow quick.

"I have a daughter the same age," Kesterson expressed. "She's not a year old; she's only 10 months right now. And in my head, I thought, 'There's somebody out there holding their little girl, hoping somebody donates, and that if it was my daughter, I would want it. I would want somebody to donate.'"

The chance of a registered potential donor actually donating is one in 430, according to Salute to Life, a bone marrow donor center for service members and those affiliated with the Department of Defense. Even if matched, 50% of people are unable or unwilling to donate. For those in need of bone marrow, donors are crucial, as 70% of patients are unable to find a matching donor within their family.

For Kesterson, there had actually been another donor that had been contacted before her. So, she waited a few months until she received another call late July, saying the first donor fell through, and she was needed.

There are approximately 17,000 individuals diagnosed with life-threatening blood cancers or diseases each year, according to Salute to Life. Around 500 of those alone are DOD personnel.

Salute to Life has had more than 9,000 donations since its inception 1991. The process to donating is just three simple steps, said Chad Ballance, a senior recruiter for Salute to Life.

"The first step is to register," he explained, "and so a Soldier can register by simply doing two swabs of their cheek and filling out some information about themselves, consenting to be a part. That's what 1.3 million (DOD personnel) have done.

"The second step is a blood draw, and it's basically a preliminary test to confirm whether or not you are a genetic match," he continued. "So 100,000 have done that test - that blood draw. Then from that, that third and final step of our program is the donation process, which is what 9,300 people have actually done."

There are two ways to donate - a bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell donation.

"Soldiers, Sailors, etc., would go and receive a shot 9 o' clock in the morning for five days consecutively," Ballance said. "That shot of a drug called filgrastim is going to increase their already existing peripheral blood stem cells. And then on day five, that Soldier presents at the same time, and then that's where they hook them up to the apheresis machine.

"They circulate the blood, and then they extract those surplus peripheral blood stem cells that we create more of, and we take those surplus and give those to the patient, returning the other whole blood product back through the body, right to the body," he continued.

He noted most donors will experience mild, flu-like symptoms, including achiness and fatigue, as they go through the donation process, but they are short in duration.

Dalia donated the traditional way, giving bone marrow.

For this process, a donor is put under general anesthesia. A surgical syringe is inserted into the hip bones, where no more than 5% of the donor's bone marrow will be extracted, Ballance said.

"The marrow regenerates within a one- to two-week period," he explained. "During that time period, as the regeneration is occurring, the Soldier can expect to have soreness in their hip in general, fatigue as the marrow regenerates."

Dalia recalled being nervous, but was put at ease by the hospital staff assisting her.

"It's still a surgical procedure that's scary, but they (doctors, nurses and staff) made me feel so comfortable," she said. "Everyone kept telling me, 'This is a good thing you're doing.' I was like, I don't want to think about needles going into my back, but the harvesting team was really, very nice to me. They answered any and all questions that I had."

For the actual donation, Dalia was able to bring her husband, 1st Sgt. Justin Kesterson, battery first sergeant for 1st Battalion, 62nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, and her daughter Samira. Donors are provided or reimbursed for flights, lodging and food costs, as well as child care and pet care, according to Ballance. Service members also receive permissive temporary duty for any time away from work for the donation process.

Justin was proud of his wife.

"I thought it was a great thing for her to do," he said. "Because I think, in my opinion, we live in a very selfish world. So for her to be unselfish like that, knowing it was going to put her in pain and she had a recovery time and she still wanted to do it, I found that very noble.

"We both feel like if we got something to offer, then we'd love to help people," he continued.

Dalia reflected on the experience, grateful to be able to help someone.

It was great," Dalia said. "It was a little scary knowing that you're going into surgery, but I think it was like an honor to be able to help somebody, especially like a little girl that age."

Dalia donated the bone marrow Aug. 8. The last update Dalia received was the day after the donation, where someone from Salute to Life informed her the baby had received the bone marrow.

"I hope it worked out for them," she expressed. "I hope they get to enjoy their baby for the holidays because she should be turning a year old soon."

For more information on Salute to Life and to register as a donor, visit www.salutetolife.org.

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