Regina boy continues to progress after stem cell transplant

Vonn Chorneyko’s recovery continues to take positive steps.

The nine-year-old Regina boy was diagnosed in October of 2015 with Fanconi anemia, a genetic disease that causes bone marrow failure and heightens the risk of developing cancer.

His family held a bone marrow drive in February of 2018 and a compatible donor was found in February of this year.

After undergoing a stem cell transplant June 14, Chorneyko was discharged from the University of Minnesota’s Masonic Children’s Hospital on July 1.

According to the Vonn’s Transplant Journey Facebook page, Chorneyko is to stay in the Ronald McDonald House in Minneapolis for the next three months while visiting doctors for occasional checkups.

On Tuesday, the Facebook page noted that Chorneyko’s health continues to improve.

“Today we celebrate that this little man is 100% engrafted, meaning he is 100% his heroic donor’s DNA — the ultimate goal!” read the post, which was accompanied by pictures of Chorneyko.

“To give perspective to what this means, typically at this point, day +25 patients are 100% engrafted in one of a two-part series … However today we were told that, ‘It’s incredible, Vonn is 100% donors cells all around!’ (He is engrafted 2/2).”