‘Amazing’ DNA oddity means I could frame my brother for murder
A WOMAN with two sets of DNA says she could frame her brother for murder by leaving blood he donated to her at a crime scene.
Chaitanya Bashyam, 21, saved Ananya's life by transfusing his cells into her when she fell ill with blood cancer.
It means Ananya is medically known as a 'chimera', as the 24-year-old joked: "I will forever have two sets of DNA in my body.
"So if I left skin or hair at a crime scene, it would show up as mine. But if I left my blood, I could frame my brother.
"It's really crazy."
Ananya was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in October 2021 after experiencing vision loss and a fever.
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"I just froze," she said. "Part of me knew my life would never be the same after that, but I was determined to fight my way through it."
She had six weeks of chemotherapy and immunotherapy and was in remission by the end of the year.
Unfortunately, Ananya relapsed in March 2022 and was told a bone marrow transplant was her last option.
Luckily, her brother was a 100 per cent match and was willing to help.
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In July 2023, college student Chaitanya donated his bone marrow, which replaced his sister's damaged blood cells with his healthy ones.
"He actually saved my life," she said.
Ananya, a former science teacher from Houston, Texas, US, is now recovering from her operation and waiting for confirmation she is cancer-free.
Once her immune system builds itself back up, her blood type will be the same as her brother - O negative.
The only other ways chimerism can occur is when a peson takes a donor organ (although the donated DNA stays within the organ), or when one twin dies in the womb, and the other absorbs its cells.
Ananya said: "I feel lucky. They got rid of everything in my current immune system.
"I have my own DNA in my skin and hair. My blood cells are my little brother's DNA.
"Your blood type changes and you can develop the same allergies as your donor a lot of the time."
Luckily, despite all her talk, Ananya is a law-abiding citizen.
Chaitanya Bashyam
Ananya said sharing DNA with her brother has given them a "deeper" connection.
"He's my best friend," she added.
"He's the closest person in the world to me."
And it's also made her realise what kind of doctor she wants to be in the future.
Ananya, who is starting medical school next year, said: "I'm really excited to use my passion for that and impact people through medicine."
Sharing his side of the experience, Chaitanya said: "Hearing the immense struggles my best friend was going through and not being able to help her was very tough.
"Being Ananya's stem donor was a no brainer for me.
"Throughout her treatment, I was always looking for ways to support her, and this seemed like the ultimate way to do that.
"Sharing DNA with Ananya is super interesting to me.
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"The crime scene scenario is pretty funny.
"Luckily, despite all her talk, Ananya is a law-abiding citizen."
