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Stories of Hope

To better understand the impact of bone marrow failure, we present stories told by the patients, parents, family members, and spouses who are living with these illnesses. Our entire community benefits from the insightful stories patients and family members share with us about their personal journeys.

Kristy Maliczowski

We Made It! – Kristy Shares her Perspective in January 2021

We made it to another treatment day without anyone in our family getting sick! The week leading to treatment day has become pretty worrisome for me. What if someone in our family gets sick with or is exposed to COVID? Josh will not be able to get his infusion within the treatment window and then what? The questions I never thought I'd have to wonder about. I used to dread treatment day because it was a reminder that Josh has Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH), but today I celebrate that...

Danielle Sulyma

A Caregiver's Story: MDS Diagnosis Changes their Lives

I know my fiancé well.  Even though he seemed to be healthy and his job kept him active, I knew it had been a long time since he had a medical physical, so I pushed him into an appointment. Without symptoms, the doctor suggested routine blood work as a part of the physical.  We were surprised that all his counts were low.  The doctor decided to check again in a month, so I made sure that his diet was healthier and that he took vitamins, hoping that would correct any problem.   Because I’m a...

Marianna De Leon

Severe Aplastic Anemia and PNH Diagnoses Came out of Nowhere - Marianna's Story

As a typical community college student, Mariana was busy. Classes, studying, day trips, all were part of her life. Yet during one shower, she dropped to the floor, suddenly dizzy. A few weeks later she would be out of breath, with unusual bruises on her skin. At the end of the semester, she fainted in the grocery store while on vacation. Her parents dropped everything to drive the miles in a hurry, returning to an appointment with her family physician. Not yet diagnosed, she went to the first...

Alayna, daughter of Ashley

Update on Miss Alayna!

Alayna was a toddler when she was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia.  The previous story described the journey of diagnosis and treatment with a bone marrow transplant. Today, Alayna is attending preschool, three days a week. She has had no major “hiccups,” her mom said, after the transplant in September 2019. She’s even doing so well, a year later, that she doesn’t need any more post-transplant biopsies! When does a mom quit worrying? Alayna’s mom, Ashley, continues to worry, especially...

Joshua Maliczowski

PNH - Traveling with a Rare Disease - Update from Josh

Traveling with a rare disease  Traveling as a rare disease patient starts long before the booking of tickets. It starts in the physician’s office where travel is planned around treatment regimen. My wife and I recommend that rare disease patients work closely with their physicians before planning travel to ensure that the patient is healthy enough to travel. Reviewing travel with a physician is important because changing altitudes, sitting for prolonged periods of time,...

Stacy Bravo

Stacy's Aplastic Anemia Journey Part 3: Disappointing Results from First Treatment

Since treatment in July 2019, I have still been transfusion-dependent, receiving both blood and platelets. I get so short of breath when my blood is low. I really hate this disease. Because I’m still transfusion-dependent, I go back and forth for labs, doctor’s appointments, and transfusions.  In September, I started having different problems. I was not feeling well. I kept feeling my heart beating so hard I could not get up to walk a few steps to my kitchen or to my bathroom.  I would get...

Joshua Maliczowski

Undiagnosed for Years, Josh Finally Finds both a Diagnosis and a Treatment!

My diagnosis with Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH) was a lot to handle, as is any diagnosis of any kind. I could talk forever in circles about the experience of my diagnosis and how it changed everything for me. For the beginning of my story, I will specifically focus on my medical diagnosis of PNH.  Here are the symptoms I was showing before my diagnosis: I was exhausted, all the time. I could not do any athletic activity without being incredibly shaky for hours after, sometimes...

Mychaela Lovelace

Mychaela Dances Again, Thanks to her Mother's Advocacy

My name is Mychaela Lovelace. I had been a healthy five-year-old child until one day, when I came home, my mother noticed red dots and bruises on my body. Because she worked in the medical field, she was very concerned. She took me to the doctor, but my pediatrician wasn’t on in the office that day. The doctor I didn’t know said that I was just playing too hard and the dots and bruises were just a rash. Over the next two weeks, the symptoms started to get worse with nosebleeds at night and red...

Behnoush Babzani

From Crisis to Career: Behnoush Babzani Triumphs over Aplastic Anemia

Aplastic Anemia led to her career – Behnoush’s story At 12-years-old, Behnoush was diagnosed with aplastic anemia.  Her therapies were the typical ATG and Cyclosporine, and she responded well. But when she was a freshman in college, pancake-sized bruises appeared.  She attributed the extreme fatigue to normal, active, college life.  She was so exhausted she’d fall asleep in her classes, much to her surprise. Behnoush, out of fear of having to deal with these familiar symptoms, ignored and hid...

Braeden Hahn

Community Rallied around Braeden's Family as he Fought Aplastic Anemia --- Now Family "Pays it Forward"

“Hey, Braeden, we need to go.”    Little did 12-year-old Braden understand that he was headed towards hospital admission. Earlier that day, Braden nearly passed out on the basketball court. He was a happy, athletic child, who excelled at several sports.  His mom, Becki, took him for blood work. Later, Braeden’s parents heard from the doctor’s office: take him to the Emergency Department now.  That’s when Braeden’s dad came to pick him up from his friend’s house, where he’d been playing...
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