In just a few days, Dominick Nino went from an active 10-year-old to a critically ill leukemia patient. What began as foot pain and a mild fever quickly escalated into a life-threatening diagnosis: Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Initial chemotherapy treatments were effective, and hope grew when genetic testing revealed his younger sister, Bianca, was a perfect match for a bone marrow transplant. But after a third round of chemo, Dominick relapsed, and the family was devastated.

Running out of treatment options, Dominick’s parents searched nationwide for alternatives and discovered a clinical trial at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. With local options exhausted and Dominick’s health rapidly declining, the family turned to Angel MedFlight for emergency air transport. The team swiftly coordinated all logistics, and Dominick was flown to Houston with his mother, leaving behind a tearful hospital staff who had come to care deeply for him.

At MD Anderson, Dominick had to stabilize before starting the clinical trial. The family waited anxiously for results, and to their relief, Dominick responded quickly — entering clinical remission and once again becoming eligible for the transplant. Bianca’s donor cells were successfully infused, and the family endured months of treatment, hospital stays, and separation while remaining strong and hopeful.

On February 10th, 13 months after his diagnosis, Dominick rang the bell at MD Anderson to celebrate the end of his treatment. Now in remission, he’s looking forward to returning home, reuniting with friends and family, and going back to school. His recovery is a powerful story of family strength, expert care, and the life-saving role of timely medical transport.

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