A woman with TWO sets of DNA in her body says she could frame her brother by leaving blood he donated to her at a crime scene.<br /><br />Ananya Bashyam, 24, is a 'chimera' as her body is an organism that contains at least two different sets of DNA.<br /><br />She was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia - a type of blood cancer - in October 2021.<br /><br />Her brother, Chaitanya, 21, a college student, saved her life by donating bone marrow in July 2023 – transfusing his new cells into her and replacing hers.<br /><br />This means Ananya now has two sets of DNA – the blood of her brother and the rest of the DNA in her body is hers – also known as a chimera.<br /><br />She is now recovering from her operation and has two more check-ups to go to confirm if she is cancer free.<br /><br />Ananya, a former high school science teacher, from Houston, Texas, US, said: “I will forever have two sets of DNA in my body.<br /><br />She has the DNA of her brother, Chaitanya, 21, after he saved her life by donating bone marrow.<br /><br />“If I left skin or hair at a crime scene it would come as mine.<br /><br />“If I left my blood – I could frame my brother.<br /><br />“It’s really crazy.<br /><br />“He has actually saved my life.”<br /><br />Ananya was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in October 2021 after she experienced a loss of vision and a fever in September 2021.<br /><br />She said: “I just froze.<br /><br />“Part of me knew my life would never be the same after that.<br /><br />“I was determined to fight my way through it.”<br /><br />She had six weeks of chemotherapy and immunotherapy and was in remission at the end of 2021.<br /><br />Unfortunately, Ananya relapsed in March 2022 and was told a bone marrow transplant was her last option.<br /><br />Luckily for her, her brother was a 100 per cent match and willing to be a donor.<br /><br />Ananya said: “I feel lucky.<br /><br />“They got rid of everything in my current immune system.<br /><br />“Then they took some cells from my little brother.<br /><br />“They transfused his new cells into me.<br /><br />“I have my own DNA in my skin and hair.<br /><br />“My blood cells are my little brother's DNA.”<br /><br />Ananya had her transplant in July 2023 at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas, but suffered with graft versus host disease – when the body's existing immune system battles the new cells.<br /><br />She was able to come home in August 2023 and her immune system is now building itself up.<br /><br />Once built up her blood type will then show up as her brother's - O negative. <br /><br />Ananya said: “Your blood type changes.<br /><br />“You can develop the same allergies a lot of the time as your donor.”<br /><br />Ananya said sharing DNA with her brother has given them a “deeper” connection.<br /><br />She said: “He’s my best friend.<br /><br />“He’s the closest person in the world to me.”<br /><br />Ananya is also starting medical school next Autumn – something she has always dreamed of.<br /><br />She said: “This has made me realise what kind of doctor I want to be.<br /><br />“I’m really excited to use my passion for that and impact people through medicine.”
