Passing Down the Right Genes
Long and his wife were planning on having a child in the near future, and his doctors were concerned whether his DNA or the Irishman’s DNA would pass over. Although there have been no recorded occurrences of bone marrow recipients passing on their donor’s DNA to a child, it’s entirely possible that could happen. Since Chris Long’s DNA was pretty much completely compromised, he and his wife had to consult multiple doctors who specialize in the genetic passage before they made a decision about their predicament.
No Relation
The genetics professionals that consulted with Long and his wife had some bad news for them. The doctors urged Long and his wife to not commit to having a child because of different a case in which a bone marrow recipient’s child possessed his DNA, but looked like the person who donated their bone marrow. In this particular instance, the mother of that child almost lost custody because of the lack of resemblance. Because of this, Long was forced to make a life-altering decision that would ultimately help him and his wife in the long run…