Hello there,
I am so sorry that your friend has such a terrible problem. And I am so sorry that his granddaughter has been diagnosed with such a terrible condition.
Basically patients with myelodysplastic syndromes often develop severe anemia and they require frequent blood transfusions.
In most of the diagnosed cases this condition worsens and the patient develops cytopenias which is low blood count and this is happening because of the progressive bone marrow failure.
Unfortunately in about one third of patients with this condition the disease transforms into acute myelogenous leukemia and this happens usually in a few months or years.
Since your friend granddaughter is young (I presume) the good prognosis are on her side and I hope that this fact is true.
My mother, who will turn 80 in December, has also been diagnosed with this. her transfusions are becoming a weekly thing. They will be checking the bladder because she seems to be losing blood this way. Will these transfusions help or hurt?