Inspired by this year’s yearbook theme, the Blue & White staff is celebrating students who “found the silver lining” in challenging situations. The phrase reflects the idea that even dark clouds have a bright edge, symbolizing hope and growth in adversity. Join us each week as we showcase a student or staff member who has shown remarkable optimism and resilience.
Graycen and Philip Vogelmeier grew up like most siblings—sharing laughs, enduring the occasional squabble, and keeping their parents on their toes. Their childhood was filled with typical ups and downs until everything changed. Their mother, Ashley Vogelmeier, noticed how easily 5-year-old Philip bruised and how long the bruises lingered. This small but alarming observation led to a diagnosis that reshaped their world—and ultimately saved his life.
“It was a very life-changing diagnosis,” senior Graycen Vogelmeier said. “It changed my day-to-day life and my family’s life.”
Philip, now a freshman, was diagnosed with aplastic anemia, a rare disease affecting fewer than 1,000 people in the U.S. each year. His bone marrow had stopped producing blood cells and platelets, leaving him in need of a precisely matched bone marrow transplant, the cure for this life-threatening condition.
Only 25% of siblings are a perfect match for each other, but, thankfully, Graycen was the match Philip needed. At only 8-years-old, she made the decision to give her bone marrow to him.
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Although she was young, Graycen says she remembers the doctors explaining the process of donating her bone marrow as well as they could. Above all, she recalls the outpouring of support her family received from the Granville community and the love her grandparents provided during that time. With her parents often away at the hospital with young Philip, her grandparents became her constant source of care and comfort.
What stood out most to her was the one thing that truly mattered: it would save her little brother’s life.
After many intense and demanding treatments for young Philip, the day finally came to receive a life-saving bone marrow donation from his sister, Graycen. It was an emotional and physically taxing time for the entire family, with both siblings in the hospital at once.
“It feels pretty cool because it’s my sister who did that for me,” Philip Vogelmeier said.
This journey serves as a reminder of the incredible sacrifices and love that families share when faced with adversity. For Philip, it is also a story of gratitude, as he continues to look up to the sister who gave him more than just her bone marrow—she gave him a future. Today, Philip is healthy, and, despite spending his kindergarten year in the hospital, he is thriving in his first year of high school.
During this difficult time, Graycen lived with her incredibly supportive grandparents. She found that even though her family spent so much time apart, it actually brought them closer together.
“A lot of the time, we were separated, so now we realize how important it is to spend time together,” Philip Vogelmeier said.
Today, the Vogelmeier family celebrates the 10 years anniversary of the donation. They now dedicate their time to helping others find a match, as Philip did. They are advocates for the Be The Match program for bone marrow donations, hoping to bring it more popularity and, therefore, save more lives.
“The more people that sign up for these drives, the more lives that can be saved,” Graycen Vogelmeier said.
Marjorie Vogelmeier • Jan 29, 2025 at 8:29 pm
This was a sad story with a happy ending as we certainly remember the journey; the article was very well-written.