On the Anniversary of Sue's Rebirth

At the point in Sue's treatment twelve years ago, the bone marrow transplant was considered absolutely necessary. This months long process included lethal chemotherapy, the need for the bone marrow to arrive on time, the process to not kill or maim her and understanding there would be years of after effects. And at the end of the process, Sue became a chimera of sorts, having the DNA of another person creating her blood system. She saw this as a rebirth. And we would celebrate this day, June 21st as her new birthday (and still celebrate her other one too). 

Now there are glimmers of hope that for the leukemia that Sue battled, that these bone marrow transplants may not be necessary. This itself may save a significant number of lives as the process can be deadly. And also, by avoiding a transplant, people might not be as susceptible to infections due to a weakened immune system. It is hard to say which factors made Sue less able to resist the infection that took her life. But as unrelenting as the research in this area is, and the positive developments in treatments, my hope is that more lives can be sustained for a full, healthy and long life. Sue survived 11 years and was in remission when she died. 

As another day of remembering my sweet Sue, I hope we all are reminded of how she made our lives better. And know that many other patients were helped by her willingness to be a groundbreaking patient. I wish everyone peace and love.

Comments

[Rick Derrickson]

Daniel,
Sue and you navigated through a torturous time with love and bravery.
Hopefully the knowledge you helped to expand will create better outcomes for people in the future.

[Sue Barvenik]

Daniel,
Thank you for this post on Sue’s second birthday and sharing the hopeful developments that bone marrow transplants may not be necessary some day in the treatment for this leukemia.I hope the research moves forward quickly to save the lives of everyone battling this disease.
Sue made such a positive difference in so many lives, including mine, and I endeavor to keep passing that forward.
Take care, Sue B.