Welcome to our space dedicated to sharing updates about Ayden with friends and family.

Ayden is 19 years old and has been a healthy, happy teenager until mid-September when he began experiencing frequent nosebleeds, small red dots on his skin, and large unexplained bruises on his limbs. Following these concerning symptoms, his doctor referred us to the emergency room at Corewell Beaumont Grosse Pointe. After some initial bloodwork, Ayden was transferred to the Royal Oak campus, where we spent five days undergoing testing.

During his stay, a series of blood tests and a bone marrow biopsy revealed that Ayden is facing a condition known as Bone Marrow Failure, specifically Aplastic Anemia. This means that his bone marrow is not producing blood cells properly, leading to various health challenges, including a weakened immune system, reduced oxygen levels in the body, and problems with blood clotting — which explains the nosebleeds and bruising.

After months of supportive care with regular transfusions and many blood tests, the immunohemotologists and oncologists (Hemoc) at Michigan Medicine have ruled out a variety of genetic causes, categorizing Ayden's disease as idiopathic, or unknown origin. We have discovered several helpful resources to better understand this condition, and we encourage you to learn more at: AAMDS.