Alabama Girl Gets Life-Saving Bone Marrow Transplant From College Student

The donor nearly missed the chance to save the girl's life after forgetting she had registered years earlier.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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A critically ill 6-year-old Alabama girl named Sophie Cromer was diagnosed with the rare and serious blood disorder aplastic anemia. After her family's search for a matching bone marrow donor came up empty, doctors found a perfect match in Maycie Fuselier, a college student in Louisiana who had registered to be a donor years earlier but nearly missed the chance to save Sophie's life.

Why it matters

This story highlights the importance of maintaining a robust national bone marrow donor registry, as well as the challenges in connecting donors with recipients, especially for rare conditions like aplastic anemia. It also underscores the life-changing impact that one person's decision to register as a donor can have.

The details

Sophie Cromer was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia, a rare blood disorder that causes the bone marrow to stop producing enough new blood cells. Doctors told the Cromer family that a bone marrow transplant was the only cure, but Sophie's older sister was not a match. Doctors then searched the national donor registry and found Maycie Fuselier, a college student in Louisiana who had registered to be a donor years earlier but nearly missed the chance to save Sophie's life when she initially thought the registry's letter was "spam mail." Fuselier ultimately decided to go through with the donation, and four months after her diagnosis, Sophie received the life-saving transplant.

  • In September 2022, Sophie Cromer's parents noticed changes in their daughter's health.
  • A few weeks later, Sophie was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia.
  • Four months after her diagnosis, Sophie received the bone marrow transplant from Maycie Fuselier.
  • More than two years later, a healthy Sophie met the young woman who saved her life.

The players

Sophie Cromer

A 6-year-old girl from Alabama who was diagnosed with the rare and serious blood disorder aplastic anemia.

Candace Cromer

Sophie's mother.

Maycie Fuselier

A college student in Louisiana who registered to be a bone marrow donor years earlier and was a perfect match for Sophie Cromer.

National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)

The organization that maintains the national bone marrow donor registry and worked to connect Sophie with her donor, Maycie Fuselier.

Dr. Eric Griggs

A health educator for Access Health Louisiana who provided expert commentary on the challenges of finding bone marrow matches.

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What they’re saying

“Sophie had some bruising. We took her to the pediatrician, they immediately sent us here.”

— Candace Cromer, Sophie's mother (25newsnow.com)

“They sent something in the mail and at first I thought it was spam mail. Then I opened it and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I forgot I did this.'”

— Maycie Fuselier (25newsnow.com)

“We're used to having emails that are unanswered. We use text messaging now as well. And so we'll be sending regular updates via email, via text message, just to remind people that they did swab their cheek, they did join the registry.”

— Erica Sevilla, NMDP spokesperson (25newsnow.com)

What’s next

The National Marrow Donor Program continues to work on expanding its registry and improving communication with potential donors to ensure more people in need can find life-saving matches.

The takeaway

This story underscores the critical importance of maintaining a robust national bone marrow donor registry and the life-changing impact that one person's decision to register can have. It also highlights the challenges in connecting donors with recipients, especially for rare conditions, and the need for ongoing outreach and communication to ensure potential donors remain engaged.