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Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta complaint alleges identical-twin stem cell transplant without genetic confirmation

The complaint alleges that Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and two physicians proceeded with what was represented as an allogeneic stem cell transplant for a pediatric T-cell lymphoma patient using her twin sister as donor, without first confirming whether the twins were identical. The complaint alleges that later testing showed the donor was genetically identical to the recipient and that the procedure did not provide the intended allogeneic transplant benefit.

System
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Facility
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Arthur M. Blank Hospital
Providers involved
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta / Alan Bidgoli, MD / Diana M. Fridlyand, MD / Transplant team
Pattern
Allogeneic stem cell transplant using twin sibling donor allegedly performed before confirming whether the twins were genetically identical
Harm
Alleged loss of intended allogeneic transplant benefit and increased recurrence risk

Overview

This page concerns a public complaint alleging that Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and two physicians proceeded with a pediatric stem cell transplant represented as allogeneic without first confirming whether the twin sibling donor was genetically identical to the recipient.

Chronology

  1. The plaintiffs allege that a pediatric oncology patient diagnosed with mature T-cell lymphoma underwent what was represented as an allogeneic stem cell transplant on January 16, 2025.
  2. The complaint alleges that the transplant used the patient’s twin sister as a matched sibling donor and that the transplant team treated the donor as a fraternal twin.
  3. The complaint contends that the team proceeded without definitive genetic testing to determine whether the twins were genetically identical.
  4. According to the complaint, short tandem repeat testing finalized on February 24, 2025 showed identical patterns across all tested loci.
  5. The complaint alleges that Dr. Bidgoli later informed the family that the transplant performed was not the transplant that had been intended or represented.

Alleged failures

  • The complaint alleges that the transplant team failed to confirm whether the twin donor was genetically identical before proceeding.
  • The complaint alleges that consent forms reflected an allogeneic transplant and did not inform the patient that she might receive a procedure functionally equivalent to an autologous transplant.
  • The complaint alleges that the patient faced a higher risk of disease recurrence because the intended allogeneic transplant benefit was not provided.
  • The complaint also alleges that an earlier bone marrow aspiration was performed in a clinic setting without adequate sedation when the patient’s skin involvement warranted an operating room and anesthesia.

Entities and tags

Children’s Healthcare of AtlantaArthur M. Blank HospitalAlan Bidgoli, MDDiana M. Fridlyand, MDT-cell lymphomaAllogeneic stem cell transplantShort tandem repeat testingDonor verification failureInformed consentStem cell transplantGenetic testing delayPediatric oncology

Questions this example answers

What does the CHOA stem cell transplant donor verification allege?

The complaint alleges that Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and two physicians proceeded with what was represented as an allogeneic stem cell transplant for a pediatric T-cell lymphoma patient using her twin sister as donor, without first confirming whether the twins were identical. The complaint alleges that later testing showed the donor was genetically identical to the recipient and that the procedure did not provide the intended allogeneic transplant benefit.

Who is identified in this public case example?

This public case example identifies Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Alan Bidgoli, MD, Diana M. Fridlyand, MD, and Transplant team. It also tags the source-supported entities Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Arthur M. Blank Hospital, Alan Bidgoli, MD, Diana M. Fridlyand, MD, and T-cell lymphoma.

What alleged failures are summarized here?

The complaint alleges that the transplant team failed to confirm whether the twin donor was genetically identical before proceeding. The complaint alleges that consent forms reflected an allogeneic transplant and did not inform the patient that she might receive a procedure functionally equivalent to an autologous transplant. The complaint alleges that the patient faced a higher risk of disease recurrence because the intended allogeneic transplant benefit was not provided.