RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Six months after being cured of his deadly sickle cell disease, Zion Ortiz and his family are giving 8News an update on life post-surgery. Ortiz has from Hemoglobin SS (HbSS) -- the most common and severe case of sickle cell anemia. At eight months old, Ortiz suffered a st roke. This caused a secondary illness called moyamoya, a disease that causes blood vessels to be very thin. Since then, he has had more stroke-like events, including a health scare at Celebree School of Henrico County in 2024. In 2025, Ortiz underwent a successful bone marrow transplant in North Carolina after his family discovered that his 14-year-old half-sister, Marissa Ortiz, was a donor match. MORE: Family member donating bone marrow to 5-year-old sibling after 4 years of searching for donor “It was my decision. But I was also a little bit nervous,” Ortiz said. “I'm very happy for him. Like, you see, like his friends and make new friends so he won't have to always be in the house, and he can just explore new things.”  Post-surgery, Ortiz experienced side effects such as hair loss, oral mucositis and reliance on a feeding tube. Now, the 5-year-old is 100% healthy -- a reality his mother Taniqua Bates didn’t think was possible. “It's surreal. Like, I can't believe that we're here. We've been waiting for this essentially since he's been born,” Bates said. “I still ask the doctors to break it down to me and explain to me, 'is he really cured, what to expect for his future?'” Ortiz said he feels stronger and braver after his surgery. He still travels to Durham every other month for follow-ups. However, the family can finally do bi-weekly doctor visits at Virginia Commonwealth University Hospital. The 5-year-old is also looking forward to attending first grade with his twin sister Nuri. ...read more read less