Ginger Caron, San Antonio Walk Committee

What started as the anticipation of our 19-year old freshman daughter, Haley, coming home that day for Easter, suddenly became the fight for her life…..

It was April 14, 2006 when my husband, Steve and I received the dreaded phone call from Haley’s attending physician at the Texas Tech Student Health Services.  Steve and I braced ourselves as we heard the doctor say the initial words “blood disorder”.  As Haley was rushed by ambulance to the university hospital, Steve and I raced to catch the next flight to Lubbock. 

Soon we would learn that Haley was suffering from severe aplastic anemia, a very rare bone marrow failure disease, of which we had no knowledge, but would quickly learn of its serious impact.  Following a week in ICU, Haley was moved back home to Baylor Hospital of Dallas where she continued to receive outstanding inpatient care and treatment for the next seven weeks.

Fortunately, during this uncertain journey, our family found both support and information from the Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation (AA&MDSIF).  From that connection, we learned of treatment options, patient conferences, experts in the field of hematology/oncology, and the hospitals that provide research and save lives everyday.  Since Haley experienced only a minimal recovery six months following her first ATG (horse) treatment, we decided to seek a second opinion.  We selected a doctor on the AAMDSIF Medical Advisory Board practicing at MD Anderson in Houston.  He recommended a second round of ATG (rabbit) over a matched unrelated donor bone marrow transplant. Today, five years later, Haley has fully recovered.  We credit God’s grace, doctors/nurses, and AA&MDSIF, as we celebrate Haley’s life as a recent college grad, working girl, and aspiring nursing student.  For this we are forever grateful and each year delighted to volunteer and walk in the Hope, Steps & A Cure Walk!