Santino and Giovanni Demasi are twins.  They were born prematurely and were soon diagnosed with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD).  CGD is a rare immunodeficiency disease that increases the body’s susceptibility to infections.  One of the treatments for CGD is a bone marrow transplant.  Could a donor be found?

Yes.  The donor match was discovered to be the twins’ four-year-old brother, Michael.  When his parents asked him if he would be willing to help – which would entail a long needle being stuck into his back to extract the marrow – Michael bravely agreed.  “I want to help them,” he said. “I’m not scared.”

“He’s just like, ‘I’m a real-life superhero,’” mother, Robin Pownall, told the news outlet. “He says, ‘I’m going to save my baby brothers.’… He could have said ‘No Mommy, I’m too scared, and I don’t want to,’ but he’s ready to go and he’s our real life superhero,” Pownall said.

The procedure was scheduled for March.  First the twins had to undergo 10 days of chemotherapy.  Then the day came for Michael to have his procedure.  When it was complete, he watched as his bone marrow was transplanted into his brothers.  The twins, who are now almost 7-months old, spent several weeks recovering at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

On May 1, 2018, the twins were discharged from the hospital.  The transplant had worked.  Now they could go home.  Pownall shared a touching video of Michael and his brothers gearing up to go home.  In the video, Michael, standing between the twins who are in their car seats, says, “OK, I saved you guys.  It’s time to go home.” *

You and I have a fatal condition.  It’s because of our sins.  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).  We need a “donor” to save us.

The Perfect Match was found in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  He was the only One – the sinless Son of God – Who could “give His blood” to save us from our sins.  In order for His blood to cleanse us from our sins, Jesus had to die on the cross: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, He was buried, and He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

In order for his cleansing blood to be applied to our lives, we must place our faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from our sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38).  Then, as we continue to walk in the light of His Word, the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse us from all sin (1 John 1:7-9).

One day, Jesus will say to those who have accepted His offer of salvation on His terms, “OK, I saved you guys.  It’s time to go home.”  And He will take us to our heavenly home where “there will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

Won’t YOU accept His offer of salvation and eternal life by trusting and obeying Him today?

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from “Infant twin boys get life-saving bone marrow donation from 4-year-old big brother” by Alexandria Hein of www.foxnews.com and “South Philly boy, 4, will donate his bone marrow to save his twin baby brothers” by Stephanie Farr of The Inquirer, www.philly.com.

David A. Sargent, Minister

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

Archived issues of Living Water can be viewed and accessed from our website at: www.creekwoodcc.org