A seven part blog series with David Weinstein
We’re so thankful and honored to present the following seven part blog series. David Weinstein shares his heart, grit, soul and bone marrow transplant journey with us as we roll out this series, once a month, here in our E-nnouncement newsletter, starting this month. Each blog post will inspire you regardless of where you are on your journey. So sit back and feel the sun on YOUR face as you soak up this very special series. Thank you David. You are a gift to this world.
By John Costin
More than a decade after his stem cell transplant, John Costin reflects on how surviving cancer gave him more than a second chance—it gave him a new perspective on life. In this inspiring blog, he shares how gratitude, purpose, and the courage to pursue long-held dreams transformed survival into a life well lived.
By Mendya Griffith
A blood cancer diagnosis can change your perspective on everything. In this inspiring reflection, survivor Mendya Griffith shares how her AML journey and bone marrow transplant experience taught her to embrace life with greater purpose, courage, and gratitude. Her message is simple: you only live once, so live it to the fullest.
By Brian Smith
After 34 years as a firefighter, this AML survivor found himself in an unfamiliar position: needing to be rescued. In this powerful reflection, he shares his journey from diagnosis and transplant to recovery, resilience, and a renewed appreciation for life two years post-transplant.
By Beth Ades
Board member and transplant survivor Beth Ades turned long, sleepless nights of fear and gratitude into a powerful mission to give back. In this moving reflection, she shares how 85 life-saving transfusions, a “rebirthday” blood drive, and eventually meeting two of her platelet donors deepened her belief that what we share—our blood, our hope, our compassion—matters more than what separates us.
Two-time cancer survivor Tom Anderson knows the power of knowledge and community in healing. Now serving on the nbmtLINK Board, Tom is dedicated to supporting patients, caregivers, and survivors through education, connection, and compassion. His mission is simple: to listen, learn, and help others find hope.
Re-Posted From: HealthTree Foundation “I was at 9/11 that day. I watched those planes fly into the towers,” Lewis Christie said. “I watched those planes fly into the towers, and I was there every day thereafter for over a year breathing in those carcinogens.” Ten years later, at the age of 71, Lewis was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). He
By Meg Murphy
After meeting a little girl named Clementine during her treatment, college student Meg Murphy was inspired to turn compassion into action. What started as volunteering grew into hosting a stem cell donor drive on campus—adding over 500 new donors to the registry and even leading to a lifesaving match. Meg’s story proves that one person’s spark can ignite hope for countless families.
By Mollie Kallen
When I first shared my journey with AML and recovery after a bone marrow transplant, I thought the hardest part was behind me. But life had other plans. Just months after returning home, I relapsed. Still, I held on to the words of my care team: “We’ve got you.” With their support and the strength of a renewed treatment plan—including three Donor Lymphocyte Infusions and targeted chemotherapy—I’m grateful to say I’m back in remission. This chapter of my journey isn’t just about surviving; it’s about rising again with purpose. My mission now is to help others become fierce advocates in their cancer journeys, just as I’ve learned to be in mine.
By Judy Fine Edelstein
In this deeply moving account, neurologist Judy Fine Edelstein shares her life-altering journey after a sudden diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia at age 61. From initial shock and grueling treatments, through a stem cell transplant and complications, to finding renewed purpose through education and advocacy, Judy’s story is one of resilience and reinvention. Now a bioethics graduate, teacher, and dedicated volunteer, she reflects on her transformation with raw honesty and hope. Her powerful narrative reminds us all that even in the face of illness, we can adapt, heal, and thrive.
By Brad Buchanan
In this raw and honest account, Brad Buchanan shares the painful, complicated reality of living with Graft versus Host Disease (GvHD) — a life-threatening condition born from the very treatment that saved him from cancer. From blindness and debilitating pain to the long, unpredictable recovery, Buchanan sheds light on the physical and emotional cost of survival, reminding readers that “beating cancer” is often just the beginning of a much longer battle.
By Bonnie Rochman
Reposted with permission from the Fred Hutch News Service
When Rich Hurst was diagnosed with aggressive leukemia, his only hope lay in a stem cell transplant from a stranger thousands of miles away. Selina Rüecker, a young woman in Germany, answered the call, donating her stem cells and giving Rich a second chance. Two years later, the pair met in person for the first time, sharing an emotional reunion that underscored their remarkable connection.
By Beth Ades
Building a race car is our “garage therapy,” where family and friends come together. The 2021 season started with fear, not excitement, as I was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS). After months of uncertainty, a 19-year-old stem cell donor saved my life with a perfect match, and I had a successful transplant on February 17, 2022.
Inspired by my journey, we created the Blood Tribute Car, painted red and named O+. This car honors blood donors and my stem cell donor, highlighting the importance of donation.
Mollie Kallen received a life-saving bone marrow transplant in the fall of 2023. Feel the need to be inspired? This blog will offer hope and assurance that you CAN get through it all and thrive. Meet Mollie and know that you are not alone.
By Ron Peperoni, Jr.
I just want to give everyone some hope. I was written off for dead by 40 doctors in 11 months. It was finally the 41st doctor to correctly diagnose me. In those 11 months, I had 266 doctor appointments, labs, scans, etc.
And I never gave up. I went from a healthy 31-year-old weighing 170 lbs. to 110 lbs. Just by luck I landed in my wonderful lymphoma doctor’s hands, and he threw the kitchen sink at me. I then had a bone marrow transplant in March 2012. Then I experienced horrible endless GVHD of the skin. I’ve had both hips and both shoulders, and all of my teeth replaced. My eyes don’t make tears, I had shingles, C. Diff. Colitis—the list goes on. It has been a very crazy 10 years.
By Janet Walsh
Number and Word – neither are significant in and of themselves, right? At least that is how I looked at them until March 11, 2022 when they took on significance in my life beyond my wildest imagination.
