Reunions celebrate thousands of lives saved through transplantation
Celebrate thousands of lives saved through transplantation
Campos and Ruble had reason for their deep emotions: For the first time, they got to meet the generous bone marrow donors who helped save their lives when they were desperately ill with leukemia.
The donors and recipients met at the 31st annual “Celebration of Life” hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) reunion on April 27 on the Duarte, Calif., campus. They were joined by nearly 6,000 HCT recipients, their loved ones and caregivers, who gather each year for the event, a City of Hope tradition.
While the success stories change every year, attendees at the highly anticipated HCT reunions appreciate every one, knowing how hard those can be to come by.
“We do this year after year, and it never gets old — there are always new stories of courage and hope in our patients,” said Stephen J. Forman, M.D., Francis and Kathleen McNamara Distinguished Chair in Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation and clinical director of the Division of Cancer Immunotherapeutics & Tumor Immunology, before introducing Campos and Ruble to their donors at a morning press conference.
The experience is even more powerful for the patients themselves.
“It’s like a family reunion,” said former patient Jeff Maurer, a Southern California firefighter who is a two-time cancer survivor. “Every year, I see a lot of people with the same stories as me who are living healthy and full lives following their transplant.”
The event also raised awareness about the need for hematopoietic cell donation. Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-Pasadena) spoke at a press conference during the event about a bill he backs that would create a statewide pilot cord blood collection program. The program would improve the chance of a match for people who need transplantation.
“Umbilical cord blood, which 90 percent of the time gets thrown in the trash, cures 70 diseases,” Portantino said.
Arizona patients reunite, celebrate
More than 200 former patients and loved ones gathered with physicians, nurses and other caregivers at the City of Hope-Banner Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Program’s 10th anniversary reunion, held May 18 at the Phoenix Art Museum. The City of Hope-Banner BMT Program, formerly known as the City of Hope-Samaritan BMT Program, performed more than 660 transplants in its first decade. (The program’s name was recently changed to better reflect the two parent organizations.) The program also has accommodated almost 29,000 outpatient visits, making a profound difference in the lives of people in the Phoenix area and beyond. Patients in the program have come from 10 states and seven countries.
“Our program has grown significantly from our opening 10 years ago, and many improvements in the care we are able to provide are on the horizon,” said Jeffrey Schriber, M.D., medical director of the City of Hope-Banner BMT Program. “We have built a program where patients from the Phoenix area can be transplanted near their homes, and we have also worked diligently to advance cancer treatment.”