Inspirational Stories

I've been affiliated with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) for many years through the volunteer/fundraising opportunities available to my kids. Little did I know I'd be visiting your website for my own needs once my mom was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in January 2023. I'm overwhelmed with the advances made by LLS and find your organization to be a tremendous resource filled with hope. I always click on your stories and decide I want to share mine because I feel like my story and that of my mom's offers just that, HOPE!

When the doctor told my mom she would need a bone marrow transplant to survive, they launched a worldwide donor search, and my sister and I both asked to be swabbed. (Our older sister has an autoimmune disease and therefore wasn't eligible.) We knew the transplant team was looking for a fully matched HLA bone marrow donor and that we, at best, would be a half-match. But we were desperate to do our part. Not too long after, my mom received a call from her doctor asking her if she had a daughter named Elizabeth. "Yes, I have a daughter named Elizabeth," my mom replied. I, my mom's daughter, was a 10/10 fully matched HLA donor! How rare is this? Incredibly rare!!! Almost unheard of! My trusty Google search said there is a one in 200 chance of a child matching his or her parent. Her doctor said he thought it was even more rare than that. I made my donation on April 27, 2023, and my mom got her transplant that same day. She is currently in remission and feeling strong.