Piketon boy receives life-saving transplant, mom urges others to become donors

Megan Becker, Chillicothe Gazette
·3 min read
RJ MacGregor fishes at his cousin David Dixon’s farm while petting their dog Lilly Thursday afternoon in Piketon, Ohio. RJ suffers from an immune disorder and must be careful even when fishing. While he can’t touch the fish or worms, he enjoys trying to catch the fish and spending time with his family.
RJ MacGregor fishes at his cousin David Dixon’s farm while petting their dog Lilly Thursday afternoon in Piketon, Ohio. RJ suffers from an immune disorder and must be careful even when fishing. While he can’t touch the fish or worms, he enjoys trying to catch the fish and spending time with his family.

PIKETON— RJ and Jessie MacGregor drive to Columbus a few times a week, over an hour drive both ways. RJ would rather be playing outside or going to school, but he has a positive outlook on the situation. He is doing what he needs to do to be healthy again.

RJ was born in 2013 and has never had health problems before. He's a healthy kid who enjoys performing in musicals, playing sports and riding his bike. RJ's mom, Jessie, notice her son was ill when he lost his appetite in September of last year. She assumed it was a stomach bug until he became jaundiced a few days later.

It was discovered that he had elevated liver enzymes in the emergency room, so he was transferred to Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus. RJ was initially hospitalized for almost a month.

RJ spends time with his cousin Jaelyn throwing darts at his grandparents’ house before fishing.
RJ spends time with his cousin Jaelyn throwing darts at his grandparents’ house before fishing.

After weeks of testing, RJ was diagnosed with T-cell mediated immune dysregulation, Indeterminate Pediatric Acute Liver Failure and Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome. Although there was some relief from getting answers, the worst was still ahead of him.

He was later diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia in March, a condition where your body stops producing enough new blood cells. After quickly developing systems and battling the illness for weeks, RJ underwent a life-saving bone marrow transplant in April.

Jessie said no one in their family was a viable match, but there were five viable donors through the donor registry. An unprecedented amount that allowed RJ's doctors to be "a bit choosey" over which donor they picked.

"They told me that it was unheard of for that many to be Bible matches because it wasn't just like five "maybes," these were five people that met 10 out 12 or more criteria," Jessie said. "We were really, really lucky."

RJ has faced months of tests, chemo, multiple diagnoses, social distancing, over 50 trips to Columbus and more. Jessie said he is brave through treatment, saying, "he'll get a lab draw quicker and easier than any adult I know." He is fighting through his disease but his battle with illness is always two steps forward and one step back.

It is still unknown what is causing his illness. One week he feels great and only goes to the hospital for routine checkups, but the next he may need to be hospitalized again.

RJ fights to pull a fish out of the pond at his cousin’s place in Piketon, Ohio.
RJ fights to pull a fish out of the pond at his cousin’s place in Piketon, Ohio.

"If I were put through what he was put through, I would have been begging euphoria to end it. The kid has been through the wringer and then some," Jessie said. "He still keeps his chin up and a smile on his face."

Although RJ must stay home this summer, he has plenty of plans including board games, playing with water guns, going fishing, getting some exercise and playing video games. He plans to have home instruction at the beginning of the school year before returning to school in the winter. He is set to audition and participate in the school musical in the fall.

Fundraising efforts

RJ's family is working on fundraising to help pay for his medical expenses. Besides his transplant and other ongoing health problems, RJ will also require medical intervention throughout his life.

Jessie has applied for grants to help pay for expenses and has received help from the Be The Match Foundation and The Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA).

At the Pike County Fair there will be a fundraising booth for RJ where there will be test kits from the Be The Match Foundation so that visitors can join the donor registry.

RJ waits for his mom to help remove a fish he caught at his cousin’s pond in Piketon, Ohio, Thursday afternoon. Even in his condition, his mom tries to do normal activities.
RJ waits for his mom to help remove a fish he caught at his cousin’s pond in Piketon, Ohio, Thursday afternoon. Even in his condition, his mom tries to do normal activities.

COTA is looking for fundraising volunteers. Individuals and groups interested in more information should contact Community Coordinator Marshia Alexander at alexandermarshia@gmail.com or 740-222-1247.

Contributions may be sent to COTA at 2501 West COTA Drive, Bloomington, Indiana, 47403. Checks should be made payable to COTA, with “In Honor of RJ” written on the memo line. Secure credit card gifts are accepted online at www.COTAforRJ.com

Megan Becker is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. Call her at 740-349-1106, email her at mbecker@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @BeckerReporting.

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Piketon boy receives life-saving bone marrow transplant