The Jones brothers are as "tight" as three siblings can be.
But 16-year-old AJ and 10-year-old austin also share a special bond.
"I am sort of like my brother. i have half of him in me," Austin said.
When Austin was five he had a bone marrow transplant to cure him of sickle cell anemia. Both his brothers were matches, but A.J. was the oldest.
"They were small, like 11 and 9, so they didn't fully understand all that they were wanting to do. But their attitude was yeah, we want him to get better. We don't want him to die," Austin's mother said.
Doctor Lakshmanan Krishnamurti pioneered bone marrow transplantation that cuts down the need for toxic chemotherapy. It's called reduced intensity conditioning, or RIC.
In the past, patients would receive heavy doses of chemo before a transplant to wipe out their existing marrow. With RIC, Doctor Krishnamurti reduces the chemo dose by using drugs that suppress the immune system. This reduces the risk of rejection without destroying as much marrow.
"You can cut down the chemotherapy and rely instead on some of the donor's immune system," he said.
Bone marrow transplants are the only cure for sickle cell, but typically it's a last resort because of the risks chemo poses. Doctors hope the new approach makes transplants available to more kids.
"A child with sickle cell disease with a transplant is basically a regular kid," Dr. Krishnamurti said.
Before his transplant, austin was prone to infection. Cold weather or cold water could spark a crisis. These days, no activity is out of reach.
"The outcome is amazing. i never take that for granted," Austin's mother said.
