A drug that protects the liver may make stem cell transplants safer for children with sickle cell disease

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Disease: Homozygous Hemoglobin S Disease, or Hemoglobin S B0/+ thalassemia, or Hemoglobin SC Disease, or Beta thalassemia intermedia/majora * Patients must demonstrate one or more of the following Sickle Cell Disease Complications * Clinically significant neurologic event (stroke) or any neurologic deficit lasting \>24 hours that is accompanied by an infarct on cerebral MRI * Acute chest syndrome in the preceding two year period prior to enrollment that have failed, been non-compliant or declined hydroxyurea treatment, or prior to chronic RBC transfusion therapy, exchange transfusion or erythrocyte pheresis. * Recurrent painful events (at least 3 in the 2 years prior to enrollment or prior to chronic RBC transfusion therapy, exchange transfusion or erythrocyte pheresis). * Abnormal TCD study requiring starting on chronic transfusion therapy and/or exchange transfusions. * At least one silent infarct lesion on a MRI scan of the head. Or (directly or probably related to SCD) * Sickle Cell nephropathy; * Splenic sequestration requiring RBC transfusion; * Aplastic crisis requiring RBC transfusion; * Avascular necrosis of the hip diagnosed by MRI; * Two episodes or more of leg ulcerations; * Recurrent priapism . * Infant dactylitis. * all patients must meet disease, age, organ function and donor criteria; Exclusion Criteria: * Patients who are receiving concomitant systemic anticoagulants and/or fibrinolytic therapies. * Patients with a previously known hypersensitivity reaction to defibrotide. * Females who are pregnant or breast-feeding are not eligible * Patients with documented uncontrolled infection at the time of study entry are not eligible. * Patients who have an unaffected HLA matched sibling donor willing to proceed to donation will not be eligible for this study. * Karnofsky or Lansky (age appropriate) Performance Score \<50% (hemiplegia alone secondary to a previous stroke is not an exclusion) * Demonstrated lack of compliance with medical care. * Patients with clinically significant fibrosis or cirrhosis of the liver will not be eligible. * Patients who have previously received a HSCT will not be eligible. * Patients with contraindications to the use of defibrotide