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15-year-old girl battling Leukemia finds bone marrow match with all 5 siblings

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    ANNANDALE, New Jersey (WCBS) — With their baby sister battling leukemia, five siblings stepped up to see if their bone marrow could be a match, and the results were unbelievable.

Meet the Hewitt siblings — Justine, Kurtis, Morgan, Colin, Andrew and Ian.

In September, 15-year-old Morgan, the baby of the family and a sophomore at North Hunterdon High School, was diagnosed with leukemia.

“Out of the six of us, who can handle this? It’s definitely her,” sister Justine told CBS2’s Vanessa Murdock.

“Strongest person I know, really,” brother Andrew said.

“She’s got that fighting spirit,” Justine said.

Mom Barbara Hewitt is with Morgan at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, her home away from home while Morgan has chemo.

Next week, she turns sweet 16.

“We’ll be here for that, but that’s better than not being here, you know,” Barbara said.

Morgan gets lots of love from family and friends; one even started a GoFundMe page titled #WeFightWithMorgan.

Morgan’s best chance for life is a bone marrow transplant, and the family’s story of finding a donor is incredible.

All five siblings swabbed to see if they were a match.

“They told us it’s a 25% chance one sibling would match,” Barbara said.

Not in the case of the Hewitts. Doctors had never witnessed it before — all five kids were a match.

“The odds of that happening are crazy,” Andrew said.

“That’s our sign that she is going to beat this,” Justine said.

Doctors decided Ian, the closest in age, was the best donor.

“He says, ‘I hope it doesn’t ruin my wrestling season,’” Barbara said.

The Hewitts hope their story will inspire others to get swabbed. It’s simple to do through Be The Match or Gift Of Life.

“It’s the gift of life, and that’s what we want to get out there,” Barbara said.

So others battling can have hope for a bright future, like Morgan.

If all goes well with chemotherapy, the bone marrow transplant from Ian to Morgan will happen in late February or early March, then Morgan will have to stay in isolation for six to eight weeks.

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