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In December 1992, I was an 8-year-old, halfway through second grade, when strep throat and a urinary tract infection just wouldn’t go away. A late-night trip to the emergency room revealed dangerously low levels of platelets, which explained this and the severe bruising all over my body and rashes on my joints. My platelets were under 2,000 and I was supposed to have 250,000.
I never thought I would be diagnosed with cancer. I taught exercise classes, walked every day, ate a Mediterranean diet, and paid attention to products I used on my skin. I became a certified health coach and taught healthy living classes.
I sat quietly in the oncologist oncologist: (on-KAH-luh-jist) A doctor who specializes in the treatment and prevention of cancer. ’s office.
Texas native John Vasquez led an active life until he started to experience unusual symptoms in 2015, including an incidence of numbness on one side of his body.
In late August 2017, AAMDSIF paid a visit to NIH patient John Vasquez and his sister/caregiver Isabella, several weeks after his stem cell transplant for severe aplastic anemia a
When Emma was still being seen at the NIH twice a week, we were talking with her physician’s assistant about her t-shirt fundraiser and her Facebook group. After hearing what Emma was doing with these activities, they asked her to be their new pediatric patient advocate, helping newer pediatric patients with advice on how to cope with treatments. This seemed to be another way we could help.
As a young man, Barry Gore was a top-40 celebrity disc jockey, complete with an adoring fan club in the Greater Boston area. But like most first jobs, it lost its luster and he settled into sales and marketing while getting his MBA.
“Emma was active in raising awareness for bone marrow failure even before her arrival at NIH.” – Lydia Seiders
In 2007, when I was 25 years old, I started to get winded going up a flight of stairs. I also began having two hour long nosebleeds, and I knew something was wrong. I had my bloodwork checked and shortly after my doctor told me to go to the hospital right away because my blood counts were extremely low. I had no idea what that meant at the time, and wasn’t overly alarmed.
Brandi was hooked on acting from the time she was three and played a munchkin in the Wizard of Oz. She eventually sidelined her first love to study political science at the University of Northern Alabama.