diagnosis

Akiko Shimamura, MD

Institution
Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center
Physician Status
accepting new patients
Primary Disease Area of Focus
Aplastic Anemia
Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)
Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH)
Pediatric
About
Dr. Akiko Shimamura directs the Bone Marrow Failure and Myelodysplastic Syndrome Program of the Dana Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. Her research focuses on translational studies spanning clinical through basic science investigations to understand the genetic and molecular basis of bone marrow failure, MDS, and leukemia predisposition with the goal of developing more effective and less toxic treatments. Dr. Shimamura had previously directed the Bone Marrow Failure Clinic at Boston Children’s Hospital and then at Seattle Children’s Hospital before returning to Boston

Shares her 11-year-old daughter's story

Brianna had always been a healthy young girl. We initially noticed some rather minor things with her but did not know at first how serious they were. She had low-grade fevers that went away during the day, but came back in the evening morning and there was her first-ever nosebleed. She missed school for a few days, so we saw her doctor. There is also a clotting disorder that run in our family – so I also wanted her to be checked for this because she had reached age where this should happen.

San Diego Family Takes Action for Awareness

My husband David’s journey with MDS began in April 2014, when it was discovered almost by chance while we were on vacation. David was bitten by a brown recluse spider and had a very severe reaction to it. He had to be hospitalized, which is when he got his first blood test in years. The doctor noted that his blood counts were low and, while he didn’t rule out that the spider bite might have affected the counts, there was a possibility of myelodysplasia.

Bart Scott, MD

Institution
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Physician Status
accepting new patients
Primary Disease Area of Focus
Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
Aplastic Anemia
Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)
Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN)
Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH)
About
Bart L. Scott, MD, MS, is Assistant Professor at the University of Washington Medical Center and Assistant Member at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. He received his medical degree from the University of South Alabama and his masters of Science in Epidemiology from the University of Washington, Seattle. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD, where he also served as Assistant Chief of Services. His medical oncology fellowship was completed at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Dr. Scott is board

Fighting PNH While Helping PNH Patients

I’m 31-years-old, and I was diagnosed with PNH in 2009 when I was 24.

I am generally athletic, and in college I was a wrestler. I knew what I could expect when training, competing, and recovering from competition. I transitioned from wresting to mixed martial arts (MMA) in 2008. Naturally, when I started that, I wanted to be sure that my training and recovery were the best they could be.

Saved by Her Twin Sister

I was your typical 14 year old teenager who always enjoyed spending time with friends and playing sports. On and off for about two years, my parents would take me to see different doctors to figure out why I had aches and pains, stomach issues and fatigue.  

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