Lifeline Project Profiles: Sandra, Nile, and Christopher
Meet Sandra, Nile, and Christopher. They are the latest Lifeline Project participants to be profiled in our ongoing series highlighting the needs of transplant patients.
Sandra
Sandra
Last year, Sandra was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). She immediately began receiving three rounds of chemotherapy. Once that was complete she received a bone marrow transplant; her donor was her only sister. Unfortunately, Sandra’s journey has been very grueling physically, emotionally, and financially. Her husband has been unable to work due to an injury and she has been unable to work due to her lengthy treatment. They need assistance paying for insurance premiums and medical costs.
Nile
Nile
Nile, the youngest of triplets, was diagnosed with sickle cell disease when he was three weeks old. He was thirteen months old when his journey of pain crisis and multiple hospitalizations began. As he continued to grow, the disease became more difficult to manage and doctors suggested a bone marrow transplant. His brothers were not a match, but they were able to find an unrelated donor. Currently, his family needs help with his transplant treatment expenses.
Christopher
Christopher
Christopher is a loving father and a kind-hearted friend who has been enduring a steady routine of doctor visits and treatments since 2005. He currently has a diagnosis of multiple myeloma for which he has received chemotherapy, blood transfusions, multiple bone marrow biopsies’, a stem cell transplant, and medicine for bone strengthening. Christopher is focusing on getting well and back to being a working father, but in the meantime he needs help with the increasing medical expenses surrounding his transplant.
To help these or any of the Lifeline Project participants, click here.
Hope Is My New Address
Photo Credit: Anne Francey
I opened my eyes to find doctors peering over my hospital bed. They had some welcome news.
I had for a month been living in isolation in the bone marrow transplant unit of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, my only option after my diagnosis with acute myeloid leukemia last year. Now, the doctors cautioned me that while my immune system was still very weak, my brother Adam’s healthy cells were beginning to engraft in my bone marrow.
Condolences to the Winslow Family
In March, we included in our blog the story of young leukemia patient Preston Winslow and his family meeting former Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow. This was a dream come true for Preston and came shortly after his family was told that his cancer had returned.
It is with great sadness that we report that Preston passed away this past weekend. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.
