From KSL-TVSALT LAKE CITY -- All parents want their babies to be born healthy but unfortunately, millions of children enter the world with genetic diseases that can sometimes be fatal. There is a unique procedure that some 30 to 50 Utah families have done to free their newborns of disabling disorders including Utah Jazz basketball player Carlos Boozer.
"We put all our faith in God and He opened up every door that we had to have opened for him to be successful with the procedure," said Boozer.
As Carlos and CeCe investigated ways to save their son from sickle-cell anemia, they found a procedure that would not only reverse his disease, but give them more children born free of the fatal disorder.
Within a five day window, and that's all they have, in vitro experts genetically screen the embryos looking not only for those compatible for a later stem cell transplant into Carmani Boozer who already had the disease, but embryos that could be transferred back in to CeCe free of the sickle cell gene.
The Boozers got the best of both worlds last year. Healthy sickle cell-free twins were born and stem cells taken from their discarded umbilical cords were transplanted into Carmani curing him of the disorder.
"We feel lucky. We feel very lucky to have all three of our children here and to be moving forward, and we just want other families to know that there is hope for them to have that too," said CeCe Boozer.
And upwards of 50 families have had just that, what is called 'pre-implantation genetic diagnosis screening.' The in vitro procedure averages between $10,000-11,000 with an additional $1,000-$5,000 for the pre-implantation genetic screening. And most insurance companies do not reimburse.
