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 N. G. Boeck / For Fred Hutch News Service
Researchers at Fred Hutch Cancer Center are studying whether a lower dose of post-transplant cyclophosphamide could help prevent graft-versus-host disease while reducing treatment-related side effects. This promising work may help improve recovery, immune function, and quality of life for future blood and marrow transplant patients.
By Amanda Brunson
After facing leukemia twice and undergoing a bone marrow transplant, Amanda Brunson learned that surviving cancer is only part of the journey. Rebuilding a life afterward can bring challenges of its own, especially for young adults navigating changes in identity, relationships, health, fertility, and the future. In this deeply personal reflection, Amanda shares how those experiences shaped her commitment to advocacy and inspired her to use her voice, her story, and the life she fought to keep to help make the path a little easier for others.
By Kay Hunter Saber
When Kay Hunter Saber’s son Ramsey was diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia, her family’s world changed overnight. Years of treatment and a bone marrow transplant taught Kay practical ways to care for a child through cancer while also caring for herself. Those lessons became Step by Step: A Parent’s Guide to Caring for a Child with Cancer, a practical, compassionate resource created to help other families feel more prepared, supported, and less alone.
By Laura Tiberi
During the isolation and uncertainty of COVID, a nagging pain led Laura Tiberi to an unexpected diagnosis of a rare form of leukemia. Now, four and a half years after her transplant, Laura reflects on the family, faith, and determination that carried her through, and why today she is simply “Happy to be Here.”
By Tanner Blackham
When Clementine was just eight months old, her family learned she would need a bone marrow transplant because of a rare genetic mutation. What began as overwhelming fear soon became a mission to help others, first by finding Clementine’s match and then by partnering with DKMS to inspire hundreds more people to join the donor registry. Today, Clementine is thriving, and her story is helping give other families something they desperately need: hope.
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.
