Blood & Marrow Transplant Program

Our team approach brings together all the specialists and services your child may need. Your care team may include physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, BMT nurse coordinators, social workers, Child Life specialists, nutritionists, physical therapists, case managers, mental health therapists and financial advisors.

We also offer resources for pre-transplant fertility preservation for our patients.

We know a transplant affects more than your child’s physical health. It can impact your family’s emotional well-being, daily routines, finances and overall quality of life. That’s why we offer a range of supportive services to help care for your child and family throughout the transplant journey. Your support team may include social workers, psychologists, supportive counselors, child life specialists, music therapists and animal-assisted therapy providers.

Together, our team of experts help your family navigate challenges, build resilience and support every aspect of your child’s health.

Innovative Treatment Options

Our Blood & Marrow Transplant team provides advanced care for children with cancer, blood disorders and immune system conditions. We offer:

  • Autologous bone marrow transplant (BMT): Replaces your child’s damaged stem cells with their own healthy stem cells
  • Allogeneic BMT: Uses donor stem cells
  • Gene and cellular therapy: Advanced treatment options, such as CAR T-cell therapy, that treat diseases at the cellular level
  • Fertility preservation: Provides personalized fertility preservation options before treatment begins
  • Apheresis: Separates blood into red cells, white cells, platelets and plasma, then removes certain parts and returns the rest to your child's body
  • Survivorship: Provides long-term, follow-up care and support to help childhood cancer survivors stay healthy and manage any lasting effects of their illness

What to Expect

A bone marrow transplant is also called a stem cell transplant. The procedure replaces unhealthy blood-forming cells with healthy stem cells. Depending on your child’s condition, the stem cells may come from your child or from a donor.

We understand this process can feel overwhelming. Our team guides you through every step, answering your questions and providing support. Here’s what to expect.

Before the transplant begins, your child will have several tests and appointments, including blood tests, imaging scans, heart and lung testing, and visits with specialists. Your child’s care team also outlines your child’s medications, nutrition and fertility preservation options, if applicable.

Your child’s transplant team will determine the best source of cells based on their diagnosis and treatment plan. There are two sources of cells.

In an autologous transplant, doctors collect and store your child’s own stem cells before treatment. Stem cells are usually collected from the bloodstream through a process called apheresis. During apheresis, blood is removed through an IV or central line, stem cells are separated using a machine and the remaining blood is returned to the body.

The collection process may take several hours and sometimes needs to be repeated over multiple days.

In an allogeneic transplant, stem cells come from a donor who has been carefully matched to minimize the risk of complications.

Donors may include:

  • A brother or sister
  • Another family member
  • An unrelated donor
  • Umbilical cord blood 

Before the transplant, your child will receive chemotherapy, radiation therapy or both. This treatment, called conditioning therapy, helps destroy unhealthy cells, makes room for new stem cells and prepares the immune system for transplant.

During this phase, children may experience side effects such as nausea, fatigue, mouth sores, diarrhea or an increased risk of infection. Your care team will provide medications and supportive therapies to help manage symptoms and keep your child as comfortable as possible.

Transplant day is often not as challenging as families expect. Healthy stem cells are infused through your child’s central line, much like a blood transfusion. The procedure is performed in your child's hospital room and does not typically cause pain.

Some children receive medications before the infusion to help prevent reactions. Temporary side effects may include fever, chills, changes in blood pressure or an unusual smell or taste during the infusion.

After transplant, the new stem cells travel to your child’s bone marrow, where they begin producing healthy blood cells (engraftment).

During recovery, your child’s care team closely monitors blood counts and overall health. Some children may need blood transfusions, IV nutrition or additional medications during this time. Preventing infection is especially important while the immune system recovers.

Recovery timelines vary, but most children stay in the hospital for several weeks after their transplant.

Even after your child goes home, regular follow-up visits remain an important part of recovery. Regular checkups help monitor blood counts, manage side effects and support your child’s long-term health and quality of life.

Children who receive donor stem cells may need medications to help prevent transplant rejection or graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a condition in which donor cells attack the body. Some medications may continue for several months after transplant.

We know your child’s transplant process affects the entire family. Our multidisciplinary team is here to support your child’s physical and emotional well-being throughout treatment and recovery.

Your family may work with:

  • Transplant physicians and nurses
  • Pharmacists and dietitians
  • Social workers and psychologists
  • Child Life specialists
  • Transplant coordinators

Phoenix Children’s also provides access to supportive care services, clinical trials and advanced cellular therapies for eligible patients.

Your Child's Follow-Up Care

After transplant, your child will continue receiving specialized follow-up care to monitor their recovery, identify any long-term effects and support their overall health. Depending on your child’s treatment, they may receive care through one or more of our specialty follow-up clinics.

Long-Term Follow-up (Survivor) Program

Our Long-Term Follow-Up Survivor Program helps monitor your child’s health after transplant.

Children who receive stem cell transplants need ongoing care to monitor their recovery and identify any late effects of treatment. We provide individualized care plans, annual screenings and long-term management to help achieve the best possible results.

  • Children who have had an allogeneic transplant, gene therapy or CAR T-cell therapy will be followed in our long term follow-up clinic.
  • Children who have had an autologous transplant will be seen for their one-year post-transplant visit in the BMT long-term follow-up clinic, then will transition to our CCBD Survivor clinic.

Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD) Clinic

Children who receive an allogeneic transplant may be cared for in our GVHD Clinic. This clinic monitors and treats graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a condition in which donor cells attack the recipient’s tissues.

Immunohematology Clinic

Our Immunohematology Clinic provides specialized care for children with immune disorders before and after transplant. This ongoing support helps ensure seamless care as your child moves through treatment, recovery and long-term follow-up.

Allogeneic BMT Long-Term Follow-Up

At each annual visit, your child and family will meet with:

  • BMT specialists
  • Dermatologists
  • Dietitians
  • Endocrinologists
  • Mental health counselors
  • Nephrologists
  • Nurses
  • Pulmonologists
  • Social workers

Our GVHD Clinic offers the same multidisciplinary support, with the addition of physical and occupational therapists to help children manage symptoms, improve function and support recovery.

This team provides screening and recommendations based on the Children’s Oncology Group survivorship guidelines and the Center for International Blood & Marrow Research collaborative survivorship recommendations. Each evaluation is tailored to your child’s individual needs to address any short- or long-term effects from their treatment. Children who have had an autologous transplant are seen for their one-year visit with our BMT team. Our allogeneic transplant patients continue to be seen annually to monitor for late effects typical of this type of transplant.

You and your child's primary care provider are critical collaborators in your child's survivorship care. We’ll create a detailed survivorship care plan that includes a review of your child's exposures, screening, preventive and treatment recommendations, as well as nutrition and exercise guidelines. We send you and your primary care provider a summary of our recommendations in easy-to-read language.

We'll also link you with resources that can help you and your child adjust to life after transplant. We can offer support with fertility questions, self-image, quality-of-life concerns, building independence, success in school, life goals and financial concerns.

Our team participates in national long-term follow-up studies that research the causes and prevention of late effects of bone marrow transplant. If your child qualifies, we'll talk to you about the benefits and other aspects of participation as studies become available.