Inspirational Stories

I came down with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in 2006 which transformed into an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma (NHL) in 2013. In 2015, I received an umbilical cord transplant at Penn Medicine Hospital in Philadelphia which was successful. This month, I celebrate nine years post-transplant. 

In 2018, I became a nomadic traveler after selling my house and most of my possessions. It was just me and my dog Beans who I rescued a few months before my transplant. He was an important part of my recovery. After spending over two years in treatment, I knew I needed to get back to nature to continue my recovery. We traveled west and spent the winters in the desert where I met a group of people who became like family. In five years, I crossed the country five times and traveled 50,000 miles spending most of my time off the grid in nature. I also started to study Buddhism and took refuge in 2021. During this time, I also met my companion, and we recently bought a house and set roots in West Virginia but will still travel part-time in the winters. I am also a recovering addict and a father to a son and daughter. I am retired from my job and now spend my time doing art, mainly photography and mixed media pieces.