June 26th marked the release of the new film “My Sister’s Keeper.” This fictional story, starring Cameron Diaz and directed by Nick Cassevetes, is about a girl conceived to donate her bone marrow to her leukemia-stricken sister. The real life version of that story can be seen in the Ayala sisters of Orange County.

At age 16, Anissa Ayala was diagnosed with leukemia. A bone marrow transplant was given as her only option for survival. Since no bone marrow donor match was available, her parents chose to conceive a child in the hopes that he or she would be a matching donor. Born in 1991, Anissa’s sister, Marissa-Eve was a perfect match. At 14 months of age, Marissa-Eve provided her sister with a life-saving bone marrow donation, making Anissa cancer-free for the last 18 years.

As “My Sister’s Keeper” gains more and more media attention, so does the Ayala sister’s story. You can read a piece in the June 22 issue of People Magazine and this article from Inside Edition. Anissa, who currently works as the director of business development for The Orange County/Inland Empire Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, is happy to be sharing their story.

The Ayala sisters have started a fund to fight blood cancers locally in the Orange County/Inland Empire region of California. To date, the fund has raised nearly $1,000 to help fight blood cancers. Join the fight and donate in honor of their brave, true story.

Learn more about leukemia, treatment options and how to participate in ground breaking research.

Related Resources:
Blood & Marrow Stem Cell Transplantation (PDF)
Understanding Leukemia (PDF)