‘I love him a lot’: 8-year-old girl provides life-saving bone marrow transplant to her brother

LEEDS, Ala. —

Nine-year-old Isaiah Brooks is recovering at Children’s of Alabama after a bone marrow transplant, with his 8-year-old sister, Isabella, playing a vital role as his donor and emotional support.

The siblings, who used to spend their days playing together, are now separated by hospital walls but remain closely connected through daily FaceTime calls.

“How you feeling today?” someone asked Isaiah during a recent call.

“Good,” Isaiah replied.

When asked what he enjoys doing at home, Isaiah said, “Play my game and talk to my friends.” He added, “I play with Kyson and play with Bella sometimes.”

That answer makes perfect sense to Isabella.

“I like to play hide and seek with him,” Isabella said.

The two have always been close, but Isaiah’s sickle cell disease has often interrupted their fun. The inherited blood disorder attacks red blood cells, causing extreme pain and sudden hospitalizations. Even a fever could mean an emergency trip to the ER, and Isaiah has missed weeks of school at a time.

Doctors determined a bone marrow transplant offered the best chance for a cure, and Isabella had the opportunity to help — not just as a sister, but as his donor.

“I wanted to help my brother out because I wanted him to live a long life. Because I love him a lot,” Isabella said.

Doctors found that Isabella was a perfect donor match, a rare occurrence in fewer than one in four sibling cases. Her parents, Whitley and Michael Brooks, made sure she understood the decision.

“I wanted to make sure she knew mommy and daddy would not be upset if you were too afraid. If you didn’t want to do that, that’s fine,” Whitley Brooks said.

But Isabella didn’t hesitate.

“She said, ‘No, I want to help my brother,’” Michael Brooks said.

Even so, Isabella admitted she was nervous.

“I was a little bit scared, but brave the most,” she said.

Her bravery didn’t go unnoticed by Isaiah.

When asked about his sister’s role in the transplant, Isaiah said, “That she’s really brave and really kind.”

Since the transplant, the siblings have found creative ways to stay connected, including exchanging matching teddy bears.

“They can write notes to each other and exchange the bears. And both of them have been sleeping with them every night,” Whitley Brooks said.

Inside the bears’ hidden pockets, they leave messages for one another.

“I said, ‘I love you very much. I can’t wait to see you again,’” Isabella said.

Isaiah is now facing a challenging recovery as doctors wait for Isabella’s donated stem cells to fully take hold.

“What’s the first thing you wanna do when you get outta there?” someone asked him.

“Go to Disney World in Florida,” Isaiah said.

For Isaiah, the happiest day may be when he’s healthy enough to leave the hospital. For Isabella, it may be having her playmate, best friend, and brother back by her side.

“I betcha you can’t wait, huh?” someone asked Isaiah.

“Yeah. Can’t,” he replied.

Sickle cell disease, if left untreated, can cause organ damage and other life-threatening complications. It affects about 100,000 Americans, primarily those of African descent, and occurs in roughly one in every 365 Black babies born in the U.S.

You can offer Brooks’ family financial assistance during his treatment by making a donation here.