Cord blood stem cells save child's life from mystery ailment

The Today Show on NBC recently featured the story of Nicholas Volker, a 6-year-old boy who has had more than 100 surgeries and spent more than 700 days in the hospital due to a condition which doctors struggled to diagnose. Doctors eventually used DNA sequencing to discover his ailment and then used a cord blood stem cell transplant to successfully treat his condition.

Nic has suffered some complications and setbacks since, but he has kept his spirits up. During his long hospital stays, he donned his favorite Batman costume, complete with bat gloves that sound "kapow!" His mother told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Nic likes the musical trio the Jonas Brothers, and she had heard him sing a line from their song "A Little Bit Longer," which goes, "A little bit longer and I'll be fine."

Hopefully, that will be the case for Nic. Santiago Volker told Lauer that her son's prognosis "is extremely good. His [transplant physician] thinks he will be a long-term survivor. And that he's possibly cured."

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