As a child, Trevis Washington had to watch helplessly as his big brother Travis battled sickle cell anemia -- a disease that caused frequent pain, two strokes and a rare brain disorder.

When Trevis learned that of the five brothers and possible donors he was the one possible match for a bone marrow transplant that could cure Travis' sickle cell disease, he was ecstatic.

``I was very excited just to give him a new chance,'' said 17-year-old Trevis (pronounced Tray-vis). ``I didn't want him to have to go through that.''

After spending most of his 18 years juggling hospital visits, monthly blood transfusions and physical therapy, Travis underwent a bone marrow transplant at Holtz Children's Hospital at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center in Miami last month.

He's well on his way to recovery, doctors say.

``Travis is very lucky that one of his brothers was a full match,'' said Martin Andreansky, the doctor who performed the bone marrow transplant. ``Worldwide, only about 30 percent of the patients have this option.''

According to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, sickle cell anemia affects about 70,000 people in the United States, mostly African-Americans. The inherited disorder distorts red blood cells, giving them a sickle-like shape. It can cause intense pain, organ damage and, in some cases, strokes in children.

Doctors recommend bone marrow transplants for sickle cell patients with especially severe complications, but only if there is a matching donor, said Daniel Armstrong, director of the University of Miami Sickle Cell Center.

Without a sibling match, the chances of finding a donor are slim, especially for minorities. Only a few hundred patients with sickle cell anemia have had this procedure, Armstrong said.

As an infant, Travis suffered complications from sickle cell and chronic asthma, two diseases that worked in tandem to keep him in and out of hospitals throughout his early childhood, said his mother, Shirley Ambrister.

At age 11, he suffered a mild stroke that weakened one side of his body. After months of physical and speech therapy, he fully recovered and started a regimen of monthly blood transfusions to prevent another stroke.

SECOND STROKE

But five years later, he had a second stroke -- more severe than the first -- and suffered damage on the right side of his brain, leaving him partially paralyzed. In 2007, shortly after the second stroke, Travis was diagnosed with Moyamoya syndrome, a rare disease that constricts blood flow in the brain and causes strokes and seizures.

As his complications increased, doctors realized that without a bone marrow transplant, his health would continue to decline. ``The prognosis for a child that has two strokes is not very good,'' Armstrong said. ``This disease can affect any organ in the body.''

In 2008, Andreansky, who directs the pediatric bone marrow transplant program at Holtz Children's Hospital, began testing Travis' five brothers to see if any of them was a match.

Trevis, who carries the sickle-cell trait but does not suffer from the disease, turned out to be the perfect candidate.

On Aug. 5, Andreansky performed the transplant, replacing Travis's unhealthy cells with Trevis's healthy bone marrow stem cells. After the procedure, Travis stayed in the hospital for about three weeks while doctors monitored his recovery.

`LAST HOPE'

Travis, of Riviera Beach, was released from Holtz Children's Hospital last Friday, three weeks after the transplant operation. The transplant was a major triumph in what has been an extended and trying battle for Travis, his family and his doctors.

``This was our last hope, our last resolve,'' his mother said. ``This disease is very unpredictable.''

After Travis' release, he moved into the Fort Lauderdale Ronald McDonald house with his family, so that doctors can keep a close eye on him as he recovers. He needs about 25 pills per day to stay healthy, but if all goes well in the months ahead, he has a good chance of leading a relatively normal life, Andreansky said.

At a news conference Thursday, Travis said he was glad his brother decided to go through with the transplant.

His first mission once he fully recovers?

``Riding a dirt bike,'' Travis said.

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