Survivor Stories
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Below is a collection of thoughts on the experiences of those affected by life threatening blood diseases such as Leukemia and Lymphoma.
 | Christine Pechera | I am alive today because ONE person on the other side of the world asked ONE person to fill out an application and sign up to join a marrow registry. Out of the millions of people in the entire world registry, this ONE person was the ONLY person who could give me the chance to fight for my life and survive. Thank goodness he said “yes”. He saved my life and everyday for the rest of my life I will send a prayer of thanks to him and his family. Doctors have the medicine and the tools to fight cancer but they are helpless without a donor. All those medicines and tools are useless without the human factor. I’ve lost too many friends because their doctors never found a donor or a donor was found too late. These are mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, nieces, nephews, husbands, wives and beloved friends. There is something wrong when we have the ability to fight cancer and save a life, but our hands are tied by a severely limited database of potential donors. Donating marrow can be as simple as donating blood: a simple, outpatient procedure. It’s the easiest and most profound way to save a life. With no help from anyone but God, once transplanted, your own cells flourish and grow inside the patient’s body and replace his or her sick cells with your healthy ones. It truly is a miracle and a testament to what we, as humans, are capable of. Today I felt the sun on my skin. I walked under a tree and shared a laugh with a friend. I embrace life and thank God everyday that I am alive and have a future to look forward to. All because one person on the other side of the world decided to do the right thing. saffronbutterflyfluttersby.blogspot.com/ |
 | KJ | Hi, my name is KJ Estudillo, I am 15-years-old, and this is my story. In April 2005, when I was 12-years-old, I was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder. They at first thought it was leukemia, and after several blood tests and a bone marrow aspirate procedure, they ruled out leukemia. I had severe aplastic anemia, a condition where my bone marrow is not making enough white, red blood cells and platelets. My doctor said, I need 'a new blood factory to rev it up'. If my blood counts are not high, I cannot fight off infection via my white blood cells, I cannot get enough oxygen to my body via the red blood cells, and my blood cannot clot via my platelets. It could be potentially fatal. In order to completely be healed, I needed a bone marrow transplant from a perfect match. I am Filipino so the amount of Asian American donors is very few. It may have been a 1 in 100,000 chance I could get a match from the donor bank. Thank God (literally), my then 2-year-old brother, Zachary, was a perfect 8/8 match! My mom said, 'So, this is why I (my mother) was unexpectedly pregnant at the age of 40! Zach was meant to be.' Kaiser Santa Clara referred me to Stanford and I received my bone marrow transplant from Zach on May 17, 2005 at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. To prepare me for the transplant, I underwent chemotherapy to eradicate all the bad blood cells. I lost my hair and went through the nasty chemo stuff. After the transplant, I took the many awful tasting medications to prevent GvH. Slowly but steady my bone marrow took to Zach's bone marrow and my counts continued to rise. I then recovered at Ronald McDonald House in Palo Alto until Day +100 when I could recover at home. On December 7, 2005, past Day +160, my doctor called and said I passed the important blood tests and I was medically cleared to be a normal kid again. I came back to school and finished my 7th grade. It has been three years post-transplant and I have a great Stanford/Kaiser Santa Clara medical team following up on me. I dance hip hop and have used that gift to dance for benefits or events creating an awareness of Pedicatric Cancer/Blood Disorders and marrow donation. I feel this is my calling. |
 | Melissa | When I was 9 years old, I was diagnosed with leukemia. Doctors recommended us to seek medical help at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston Texas. After many tests, karyotyping, and bone marrow biopsies, I was diagnosed more specifically with acute myeloid leukemia, monosomy 7, prognosis is poor for this particular type of AML - the five year survival rate being 15% and chance of relapse is 78%. Chemotherapy was performed while a bone marrow donor was being searched for amongst my family. No one was compatible and this was when a more extensive search was done. They finally found a donor in 1991, two years after my diagnosis. Preparations were made for us to go to Childrens Hospital in Wisconsin as well as scheduling a splenectomy, and further chemo treament. Once in Milwaukee, a very strong course of chemotherapy and several sessions of full body radiation were done. November 26th, 1991, a gowned man came into my room with a cooler, in it he had a little bag filled with 'pink juice' which was going to help me feel better. That night I received my bone marrow transplant, and that was the night God gave me a second chance. Medicine has given me everything and after admiring my doctors for so long my mind was set, and I decided to become a doctor. My parents helped me through every step of my journey. This journey was not without obstacles. My father passed away in 2001 from lung cancer and my world was turned upside down. After I completing my undergraduate degree, I decided to attend grad school where I spent 3 years doing research in cardiovascular physiology and molecular biology. It was there that I found Dan, my fiancée. I was blessed by his love and my heart started to heal. I applied to medical school and was accepted to Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine. I am now a third year medical student and loving every minute of it, well, most minutes of it. At the time I had no idea that the illness I had was so dangerous. As I started to enter remission, doctors called me a walking miracle. No one really thought I was going to do so well. My family’s love was what kept me going and for them, God could not have blessed me more. This brings me to the most important part of my story. The only reason I am here today is because God sent me an angel. Her gift to me has been the most precious gift anybody has ever given to me. Words of gratitude could never encompass my appreciation to her. As I look back to these past 16 years of my life after my transplant and see all of the great things I have been able to do, see and experience, I close my eyes and thank God for my angel and marrow donor, Jeanne Dileo. |
 | Myland | Hi Family & Friends, As you may recall, three days into our annual summer vacation in Kona sixteen months ago, I got a phone call from my Doctor telling me I had been diagnosed with Leukemia and needed to get back to S.F. to begin treatment immediately. Dr. Hufford assured me at the time that 'we'll get you back to Kona one day'. About a month ago, I got the OK from my Doctor to travel again. So I did! Well, we did. We checked with da boys teachers, gathered up two weeks worth of schoolwork and booked the next flight out to Kona. We could not wait to get back to the place we call our 'second home'. I was more excited about this trip than any of the times I went to Disneyland as a kid. As the plane took off, I glanced over at Carolyn and she had tears in her eyes, I held her hand and cried with her. Tears of joy that we were going 'home' to pick up where we left off. Dr. Hufford was right...it was one heck of a detour but we made it. The Big Island is magical and holds a special place in our hearts for many reasons. Carolyn and I have spent many, many moons and sunsets over there. The ocean is our playground as we have explored underwater up and down the Kona coast hundreds of times. We were married there 13 years ago and I still remember that day as if it were yesterday. We have been bringing our boys, Kyle and Kory, to this magical place since they were infants, where we 'baptized' them in the ocean. As they grew, I taught them how to swim and dive in these Hawaiian waters. No wonder they're like little fish. The sheer joy of being back in the water with da boys was indescribable and coming home to a place I thought I might never see again was very, very emotional. We have been very fortunate and count our blessings everyday to have been able to make this trip and to return home safely. This was our best trip ever! Carolyn and I are still very involved with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training and the Asian American Donor Program and will always be. These two wonderful organizations have made such an impact in our lives that we are forever grateful. Tis the giving season, so if you haven't decided who to give to yet............these two places would be a great place to start..... Happy Holidays! LIVESTRONG. BE STRONG! Aloha & Love, Myland |
 | Nancy Sakakura | '...I think about this special 23 year old girl in Japan who so generously gave her marrow to a perfect stranger overseas. What an act of kindness and humanity. Unless the international laws change, I shall never be able to thank my donor for saving my life. I think about the tough hospital stay which is quickly becoming a blur to me. I think about how good I feel now and how much I have to be thankful for. I'm sure that I'll continue on this road to complete recovery. I'm looking forward to the things I want to do in the future. What a difference a year can make.' |
 | Tino | Hi, my name is Fautino Mendoza and I am very grateful first of all with God for giving me a second chance to live. I am very grateful with my family and friends for being with me during those difficult times when I was diagnosed with CML leukemia. The only way a person with leukemia can survive is through a bone marrow transplant/bone marrow donation. Thanks to my older brother who donated bone marrow, and with Gods help, and with the help of expert doctors who are dedicated to helping those with this disease, today I am survivor of leukemia. It's been eight years since the bone marrow transplant was done, and today I am in good general health in company of my family, friends, and the miracle of my little baby Aliya Yaretzi Mendoza who is one years old, and of my other daughter Alexia Mendoza whose eight years old. I encourage you to register to donate bone marrow, so that you can help other people who have this terrible disease get cured. If it had not been for the bone marrow transplant, I would not be here today. You can save a Life! |
