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Surviving Loss: A Journey from Losing Homeland to Surviving Bone Marrow Failure
Hello this is Sahar, a woman who fled her homeland followed by the failure of her bone marrow within 6 months. I am a daughter, a devoted wife, a mom to two adorable children.
Lisa: Finding the Light
Lisa loved her work.
As a Senior Teacher in the UK, she dedicated herself, her time, and her passion to her job. An average week saw her working 70 hours.
Following a beach holiday in the Canary Islands, she developed a strange rash on the top of her feet. A colleague urged her to go to the doctor.
"I Consider Myself Lucky:" New Mom Meghin Can Live her Life Now
On October 24th, 2022 I received the phone call that would change my life. Enjoying a ten minute bubble bath, I initially ignored the vibrating phone along the tub's porcelain edge. My husband had recently embarked on an overseas business trip, and for the first time I was parenting as a single parent. Exhausted, my throat sore, I had just put my seven month old son to bed and wanted nothing more than to snuggle into my cozy bed and sleep. I never did get to sleep.
"Let's Roll:" What the Heroes of 9/11 can Teach us about Facing Blood Cancer
The morning of 9/11/01 was a doubly surreal experience for me. I was waiting for an appointment with my doctor at M. D. Anderson's Leukemia Center in Houston while chaos erupted in America. The waiting room was packed, as usual, with people at various stages of their own life-threatening events, and I was struck by the relative calm in this room compared to the state of disbelief and panic playing out on TVs throughout the country.
A Mother's Message of Courage: Marie-Eve Shares Milan's Story
My name is Marie-Eve. I’m the mother of 3 boys, Milan (17), Nando (14), and Kirill (12). In early 2021, I’d been noticing marks on my oldest son’s body — undeniably and inexplicably large bruises — as big as full moons. My mind would spin in a million different directions, trying to convince myself nothing was amiss. Milan kept telling me he was fine. “I’m okay, mom. Stop worrying.” Then, one morning, he left for the hockey rink, sopping up blood from his nose and gums, for no apparent reason. It was March 11, 2021.
Aplastic Anemia Taught me to Nourish my Body and my Spirit
In Sept 2021, I had my stillborn son, Nolan. My blood count levels at that time were normal (250 platelets, Hemoglobin 10, good neutrophils). From September to April, I began supplements (not under the direction of a physician), increased my physical activity massively (including running long distances), and began eating healthier. I also drank more.
David's Journey - Grandfather Responds to Treatment for Aplastic Anemia
Most of my working life was associated with the printing industry. I was apprenticed to printing way back in 1962. I then worked as a printer and later as a teacher in vocational education at the School of Printing and Graphic Arts in Sydney, Australia. Over a period of forty odd years, I worked in close contact with a large variety of hydrocarbon-based solvents, a known cause of
Aplastic Anemia, Two Transplants, and Medical School: Jenny's Story
Two transplants later, Jenny is off to medical school!
An athlete since preschool, Jenny couldn’t understand the fatigue she’d been having. Only 10 minutes into a soccer game in high school, she had to stop. On an open-gym morning, she felt so horrible she passed out while she was walking to her car to drive home.