Heather's Story (Cont.)

	Heather and Emma

Five Weeks in NYC

In November 1988, Heather traveled with her parents and her older sister to Memorial Sloan-Kettering for what is known as a T-cell depleted bone marrow transplant. (In this procedure, immune cells called T cells are selectively removed from donor blood stem cells prior to their infusion, significantly reducing the chance that these donor T cells will attack the patient's body, in an illness called graft-versus-host disease.)

Prior to the actual transplant, Heather had to undergo total body radiation, which destroys the existing bone marrow and cancerous cells to make room for the new bone marrow. Heather's doctors informed her and her parents that the radiation, which was required to save her life, would most likely make her infertile as an adult. At the same time, Heather's sister underwent a procedure known as a bone marrow harvest. This is when the donor, while under anesthesia, has a quantity of bone marrow extracted from the rear hip bone, where a large quantity of marrow is located.

Unexpected Difficulties

Surprisingly, the most difficult part of the entire transplant for Heather was the thought of her sister Heidi suffering in any way. "I knew that she was weak from the numerous aspirates it took to harvest her marrow," Heather says. "I knew she felt sick and was in pain, while I slept through my part."

During the initial weeks after transplant, Heather, lacking a functioning immune system, had to remain in isolation. "I missed my family so much," she says, recalling this trying period. "My parents were able to visit me wearing gowns, gloves, and masks. And I can remember looking down from my hospital room window at my baby brother and my three-year-old sister, standing outside on the sidewalk, waving up at me."

Despite the difficulties, Heather was determined to get better. "I remember waiting in anticipation for the results of my white blood cell count to come each day," she says. "I knew that as soon as it reached an adequate level, I could go home. My mindset was that I was a sick kid and I had to do this to get better." Fortunately, Heather's white blood cell count reached acceptable levels after a relatively short five weeks, at which time she was allowed to go home.

The transition back to "normal" life had its own obstacles. "As a 12-year-old, it was very hard returning to school and feeling so different," Heather explains. "I felt alienated at times because my thoughts were so different. Having a life-threatening illness has a way of maturing you."

Randy and Emma

Coping Mechanisms -- Physician Support, Family Love, Faith…and Chocolate

When asked what helped her, at age 12, to get through such a traumatic event, Heather mentions the support of her doctors, including Memorial Sloan-Kettering's Nancy Kernan, the love of her family, and a peace of mind she felt knowing that God was in control.

"Chocolate, too," she adds. "My grandma took me to many of my follow-up appointments and she always had a little treat waiting for me. It made each trip to the hospital a more pleasant one."

Recurrence & Second Success

Nine year later, at the age of 21, Heather's CML recurred. This time, Heather's treatment included three T-cell infusions from her bone marrow donor sister. These infusions allowed her sister's T cells to attack and help to destroy Heather's cancer. Unfortunately, this time Heather developed graft-versus-host disease from the T-cell infusions, requiring her to take large doses of the steroid prednisone. This lead to a series of very uncomfortable side effects, including a swollen "moon" face, upper body swelling, stretch marks, insomnia, pain, fatigue, high blood pressure, and joint cramping. In general, battling the disease a second time was a tremendous challenge for Heather, both physically and emotionally.

When her treatment proved successful and Heather was again cancer-free, she still naturally harbored fears of another recurrence. "I felt great," she notes, "although I was anxious that maybe it would return again."

As a positive "side effect" of her second battle with cancer, Heather met her husband during this period. "He stayed by my side and supported me through the entire ordeal," Heather says. "And a year after I was cancer-free again, we were married." Contrary to what her oncologists had initially predicted, Heather went on to give birth to two beautiful children, five-year-old Randy and one-year-old Emma.

Lesson Learned & Advice

Looking back, Heather believes that her experience with cancer has helped to shape her into the person she is today. "I have learned so much through these experiences," she notes. "It has made my faith in God grow stronger. I have learned to appreciate each day a little more, to love my family a little deeper, and to breathe each breath as if it were a precious gift."

When asked what advice she could offer other individuals considering a bone marrow transplant, Heather is ready with a response. "Be informed," she says. "Take ownership of the situation. Trust your doctors. They don't know everything, but they know more than you." And offering one final bit of guidance, she adds, "Laugh a little. Laugh a lot. Laughter truly is the best medicine."