Meet Kaylin. She’s 16 months old, and she’s also a twin. She was born at 32 weeks, and she stayed in the NICU for 10 weeks experiencing many complications. Later she was diagnosed with extremely rare blood condition called diamond-blackfan. With her condition (which only affects 700-1,000 people worldwide) she is not able to make her own red blood cells and she has to have blood transfusions every 2 to 4 weeks. She has had 24 so far and her very first one was when she was three days old! Her parents have almost lost her 4 times and she has been hospitalized 6 times. There is no known cure for her condition, which causes other issues with her liver, kidneys, heart and more. A runny nose has the potential of putting her in the hospital. She is now in the beginning stages of a bone marrow transplant.
Despite all of this, she doesn’t let it hold her back. She is still as rambunctious as a 16 month old baby can be! Her family loves her unconditionally, and The Sandbox has been there to love and support them on their journey.
