Ed Reifenberg
On Friday June 15th several of our honored BMT staff were invited to celebrate life with a patient who is close to our hearts. Ed Reifenberg and his wife, Joann, hosted a celebration in remembrance of Ed’s bone marrow transplant in 1998. Ed’s wife Joann was his caregiver for his transplant. Ed along with friends and family celebrated the last 20 years and the second chance at life his transplant continues to give him. The party was filled with an estimated 200 friends and family whom Ed and his wife have impacted throughout their lives. One of the highly honored guests included Ed’s brother and transplant donor. Attendants from his care team included Sandra Rudolph, Wendy Madden, Diana Tate, and Jeanie McKay. Ed and Joann are dear to our hearts on the BMT unit and it was our honor to celebrate with him.
The nurse manager of our program, Wendy Madden, shared her experience at Ed’s 20 year celebration, “He shared stories with us that helped refresh tired minds and spirits that sometimes occur working in the field of oncology. Sharing his experience helped remind us that what we do is important and all the little things make a huge splash in our patents lives. It was refreshing." Ed has continued to give back to his community. He and his wife are dynamic members of the Montgomery community. Ed and his wife have compassionate hearts for patients and family members who are undergoing stem cell transplants. Together Ed and Joann started a nonprofit foundation called The BMT Angels to assist BMT patients in need. To know the Reifenberg’s is to love them. They bring so much joy into the hearts of those they meet and care for. Much success to the Reifenberg’s!
Skye Savren-McCormick
The UAB Blood and Marrow Transplantation Therapy Program performed a bone marrow harvest that has produced a beautiful and an unexpected friendship. Hayden Hatfield Ryals signed up to be a marrow donor and ended up not only being a perfect match, but also saving the life of Skye Savren-McCormick, who was suffering from junvenile myelomonocytic leukemia at the time. Two years later, the pair is still close, and Skye was the flower girl in Hayden’s wedding. “When I thought about the fact that this simple donation was saving someone’s life, I never thought twice,” Ryals said. “After completing the process of harvesting and donation, I can say confidently that there is a lot more pain and strife that I would be willing to go through if I knew it could give another person a second chance for a healthy life.”
Jimmy Roberson
After being diagnosed with aplastic anemia, two unsuccessful chemotherapy treatments, 50 blood transfusions, and more than 25 platelet injections, Jimmy Roberson finally met who he says is his angel here on Earth. Her name is Alina Franke, a 27-year-old Hamburg, Germany, native who donated stem cells way back in 2009, all because she hoped to help someone in need one day. After the transplant, Roberson spent 49 nights in the bone marrow unit, battling 103-105 degree fevers that had UAB nurses laying him on an ice mattress to try to get his fevers down. At one point, he had double pneumonia, and they told his wife that he was critical. “But eventually, I started getting better. Then I started getting stronger, and the team that cared for me at the hospital was a big reason. Then I thought a lot about my donor and all he or she did to help me — I didn’t know who my donor was at the time. I was thinking about my wife and my grandchildren and how much I didn’t want to leave them. I felt like I had to keep fighting.”
Monette Brown
I still remember it like yesterday. On August 16th, 2013 I received the call that I had Leukemia. Three months later, I was having a bone marrow transplant. And just as short as those 2 sentences were, is just how fast everything seemed to be happening! In February 2013, I relocated to Birmingham with my job. Then, six months later, I received my diagnosis. At the time, I couldn’t understand how in the world this could have happened. I just uprooted my family. Most of my life was spent in Atlanta, where my parents still reside. And when this came up, everyone thought I would move back to Atlanta and receive treatment there. But, I didn’t. Although I was scared, confused, numb, and lived in a city with no family and friends… I felt in my heart that I was in the right place for my treatment. I also believe this was the primary reason that my path brought me to Birmingham… So that I could be at UAB. My treatment consisted of 3 rounds of chemotherapy, followed by the bone marrow transplant. During initial discussions with my doctors on the bone marrow transplant process I was terrified. One- because if I didn’t go through with it, I was assured that the AML would most definitely come back. I was considered high risk. And two- as an African American, finding a suitable donor would take some time. Yet, I still believed. After 3 months of waiting and with only 4 potential donors out of 22 million registered donors (both in the U.S. and internationally) with Be The Match- I received my blessing.
The recovery process for an allogenic transplant has been just that- A PROCESS. I am extremely grateful for the BMT staff. As a patient, it gets frustrating and annoying to have to frequent the clinic so often for various things… ie: lab work, MD visits, sick visits, etc… But never once did I not believe in the team treating me. I truly believe the entire BMT staff wanted to see me win! I just celebrated my 1 year mark, since transplant. And, even today I’m in the “process” of managing the Graft vs Host Disease. My take on life now is simple. [One day at a time] and I still remind myself that this is a process. When I keep these into perspective, I don’t agonize over my not so great days. And even though there’s always a chance that my Leukemia can come back; I choose not to entertain that notion- because I refuse to live in fear. One thing’s for sure… when you come out on the upper side from having a transplant, you certainly don’t want to waste days with a mind consumed in fear. If you are reading this and are in need of a transplant or have recently had a transplant- remember: accept however you feel on that day, then start over the next day. Everyone processes things differently- so in your own time, you will be ok.