Bone Marrow Transplantation
The Stem Cell/Bone Marrow Transplant unit is located within the Cancer Care and Renal Center at Kosair Children's Hospital. The eight-bed unit is specifically designed for the care of immunocompromised patients with HEPA filtered rooms. A multi-disciplinary team of attending physicians, residents, nurse practitioners, nurses and ancillary staff, provide daily patient care. In addition to the primary transplant clinical team, a child life therapist, social worker, chaplain, physical therapist, dietician, pharmacist, expressive (art) therapist, and a schoolteacher are involved in the child's care. Our goal is to provide excellent care for the child and his/her family while in the hospital.
We perform high dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue and related as well as unrelated donor transplants at Kosair Children's Hospital. All national and international cord blood banks and the National Marrow Donor Program are extensively searched to find matches for our patients. We have expertise in:
Malignant Conditions
- Leukemia
- ALL
- AML
- Brain Tumors
- Neuroblastoma and others
Non-Malignant Conditions
- Thalassemia
- Sickle Cell Disease
- Immunodeficiency
- Genetic Disorders
- Fanconi's Anemia
- Aplastic Anemia and others
Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation
- High-risk acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)
- Acute myelocytic leukemia (AML)
- Acute undifferentiated leukemia
- Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia
- Mylelodysplastic syndrome
- Advanced chronic myleocytic leukemia (that is, with a chronic phase occurring more than a year after diagnosis)
- Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia
- Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria
- Advanced lymphoma
Parents are encouraged to be an important team member in their child's care, and are encouraged to stay at the Ronald McDonald family room provided just for families of transplant patients in the Cancer Care Center. This room includes a full bathroom, kitchenette, sitting area, and four bunk beds (although one parent can sleep in the room with their child). Outpatient follow up is done at Kosair Children's Hospital where children can get their medicines and transfusions as needed. Out-of-town patients and families can stay in the Ronald McDonald House, which is just two blocks away. A separate room is usually reserved there especially for our patients.
Affiliations and Memberships
The Kosair Children's Stem Cell Transplant (SCT) program is part of the University of Louisville Blood and Marrow Transplant program. The program is a member of the Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Consortium (PBMTC), and the Children's Oncology Group (COG). The program is accredited by Foundation for Accreditation of the Cellular Therapy (FACT), FDA, NMDP, IBMTR/ABMTR, and the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) for pediatric transplants.
Contact Information
Kosair Children's Hospital
231 E. Chestnut Street
Louisville, KY 40202
Main Contact
Renate Waldron, R.N., BSN, CPON
Bone Marrow Transplant Coordinator
(502) 629-7312
Clinical Team
Salvatore Bertolone, M.D.
Alexandra Cheerva, M.D., M.S.
Nancy Breslin, ARNP, FNP-B.C.
Victoria Zelko, CPNP-A.C.
BMT Processing Lab
Kathy Blunk
Amanda Burkhardt
Beth Hubbard
Ursula Schultz
Ancillary Staff
Social Work - Angie Gruelich
Chaplain - Shannon Queenan
Childlife Specialist - Heather Clements
Pharmacy - Jennifer Grant, Sarah Sobotik
Bingham Child Guidance Center - Bryan Carter
Expressive Therapy - Elizabeth Sanders
Case Manager - Annette Carlisle, RN
Nutritionist - Gita Sheehan
Massage Therapist - Devon Brooksbank
Art Therapist - Emily Johnson
Music Therapist - Cindy Williams
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