Kaitlin, age 20, was diagnosed with aplastic anemia in 2005 at the age of 7. Before that she had significant developmental delay. The diagnosis of Dyskeratosis Congenita took two more years and a trip to the NIH to join the Inherited Bone Marrow Failure Study. Kaitlin received an unrelated stem cell transplant at Memorial Sloan Kettering in Jan’ 2008. Since then she has developed most of the symptoms of DC. Her gene mutation, RTEL1 was discovered after joining a research study at Boston Children’s Hospital in 2014. Kaitlin enjoys horseback riding, reading, singing, drawing and sewing. She underwent a successful liver transplant on Dec 5 , 2019 for the dual diagnosis’ of short telomere related nodular regenerative hypoplasia and hepatopulmonary syndrome.. She had a lot of complications and was hospitalized for 6 months but is fully recovered now thankfully
Kaitlin Dillon
Gene: RTEL1
