Hope to climb mountains with my brother again
Both my brother and I suffered the consequences of lymphoma during the past seven years. We were both blessed with the positive outcome of medical treatments that eradicated the cancer. I had an autologous stem cell transplant and my brother had an allogeneic stem cell transplant, CAR-T treatment, and a donor SCT. While our cancers are gone, my brother developed chronic GVHD, and continues to suffer from it. Every day is a new adventure. It has become the main focus of his life, as he and his wife and family learn to live with this awful disease. My wife and I -- and our entire family -- support the patients and their families who are running the gauntlet of GVHD, and we spread the word to make more people aware of this “side effect” of life-saving transplants. We’re confident that, over time, research efforts will find a way to conquer GVHD so that patients can fully realize the benefits of eradicating blood cancers without the negative side effects.
