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Stem cells taken from the blood of 56 patients with childhood cancer in the Los Angeles area were lost when the freezer in the hospital where they were stored malfunctioned, administrators said Wednesday.
The stem cells were collected from patients at the Los Angeles Children's Hospital (CHLA) before being subjected to chemotherapy and radiation treatments. They have been stored long term in case their cancer ever comes back.
"One of the freezer sensors failed and the notification process … failed and so we lost those samples," said Dr. James Stein, CHLA's chief medical officer.
All but one patient had taken the initial therapy, the Los Angeles Times reported. The loss of stem cells has put children's health at risk, said the hospital.
A freezer malfunction at the Los Angeles Children's Hospital destroyed the stem cells of 56 children with cancer, officials said.
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The hospital has also ruined family notification. A letter announcing the news was accidentally sent to the children and not to their parents.
Sean Anderson Corona, 13, described the news as "painful" and burst into tears.
"I'm almost at the bottom [of the letter] and I just started crying, "he told KABC-TV.
Corona followed stem cell therapy after being diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma. The demanding process required him to be connected to machines for hours. His blood was then reinjected into his body once the stem cells were harvested.
"I was trying to sleep and my body started to shake, then I started to panic and started crying," said Corona, who will be cancer free for three years in November.
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Stein said that patients can still have the stem cells harvested again. In a statement, the hospital apologized for this incident.
"We are really sorry that this loss has occurred," reads the book. "We apologize for any distress or confusion that this has caused to our patients and their families."
The freezer has been replaced and the sensor monitoring system has been upgraded.
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