Inspirational Stories

My brother Jim was an amazing man. He was a person for whom family was everything. He ran a plumbing business with his brothers and took pride in its success, but he was so much more than his work. We called him “The Renaissance Plumber” because he was so knowledgeable on so many topics ― history, literature, music, politics, sports. He was also a wonderful cook and a genial host. He lived life to the fullest. His leukemia diagnosis was a terrible blow, coming within months of the tragic death of our younger brother. Sadly, the disease quickly became very acute, and his medical team recommended a bone marrow transplant as a last-hope treatment. Luck was in short supply for Jim. Not one of his three siblings was a match. Jim eventually had the transplant with marrow received from a selfless and generous donor from the registry. His post-transplant recovery was slow and riddled with setbacks. Jim was plagued with many swallowing and taste bud issues which made eating an excruciating process. During this time, we used resources available from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) to research treatments for Jim’s rejection issues. The information gave us hope, and we used it to pursue treatment alternatives. In the end, nothing worked for Jim. But we are loyal to the mission of LLS. We want life-saving treatments for victims of blood cancers.

written by Kathy