Cayden Boozer is playing his sophomore basketball season with the Duke Blue Devils while living separately from his twin brother Cameron, an NBA rookie with the Memphis Grizzlies, and their older brother Carmani, a student at Florida International University, USA Today reported.
The siblings share a profound medical history rooted in a bone marrow rescue from May 2006. Carmani was born with sickle cell disease, an inherited hemoglobinopathy that alters red blood cells into a rigid sickle shape, blocking microvascular blood flow and causing severe ischemic pain and organ damage.
Carlos and CeCe Boozer opted for in-vitro fertilization to conceive embryos that could serve as a compatible human leukocyte antigen match for their eldest son.
Defining Sickle Cell Disease, Cord Blood Transplantation, and HLA Matching
- Sickle Cell Disease: An inherited red blood cell disorder characterized by abnormal hemoglobin that causes cells to become crescent-shaped and rigid, impairing oxygen delivery to tissues.
- Cord Blood Transplantation: A therapeutic procedure using hematopoietic stem cells harvested from umbilical cords to replace damaged bone marrow and restore healthy blood cell production.
- HLA Matching: The process of identifying human leukocyte antigen tissue markers between a donor and recipient to minimize the risk of graft-versus-host disease.
The 2006 Stem Cell Transplant and Family Bond
When Carmani was 21 months old, he received a blood stem cell transplant utilizing umbilical cord blood from his newborn twin brothers, Cameron and Cayden. That procedure cured his condition, allowing Carmani to grow up entirely healthy, according to USA Today.
The brothers first grasped the full medical scope of their shared history when they viewed a 2008 ESPN “E60” documentary in middle and high school. “I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t without my brothers and my parents making that very difficult choice to go through with everything that they did, and I couldn’t be more grateful for it,” Carmani Boozer told USA Today.
National Marrow Donor Program Awareness Campaign
The three brothers are now partnering with the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) to urge individuals aged 18 to 35 to join the donor registry. Julie Smolich, NMDP’s senior vice president of marketing and community engagement, noted that joining involves a simple cheek swab to help patients battling blood cancers and disorders find life-saving matches, USA Today reported.
“There’s a lot of people who do struggle with it and go through pain and whatever it might be, and I think especially being a minority, it’s very hard to find a donor match. So just trying to spread awareness, get more people to sign up,” Cameron Boozer told USA Today. Cameron Boozer
In September, prior to his debut NBA season, Cameron visited patients and donors at the Baptist Cancer Center in Memphis. Cayden undertook a similar hospital visit with patients at Duke University Hospital just before Halloween.
| Brother | Current City / Role | Recent Milestone |
|---|---|---|
| Cameron Boozer | Memphis, Tennessee (NBA Rookie, Grizzlies) | First NBA triple-double on Oct. 29 |
| Cayden Boozer | Durham, North Carolina (Sophomore Guard, Duke) | Playing No. 5 Michigan State on Nov. 10 |
| Carmani Boozer | Miami, Florida (Student, FIU) | Advocating for NMDP donor registry diversity |
Screening Requirements for Cellular Therapy and Family Matching
Patients considering cellular therapy or family matching options must undergo comprehensive screening by hematology and transplant specialists.
Cameron and Cayden Plan to Host Transplant Patients
While Cameron’s Grizzlies stand at 6-3 following a 6-0 start, Cayden prepares for the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils’ matchup against No. 5 Michigan State, USA Today reported. Despite living apart for the first time, the brothers maintain constant contact through a group chat and plan to host transplant patients at their respective games this season.
“It’s special knowing that we’re here because of him, and he’s here because of us,” Cameron Boozer told USA Today.
References
- National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). Blood stem cell transplantation and registry guidelines.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) epidemiological data and clinical overviews.
- Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation outcomes in inherited hemoglobinopathies.
