Source: Match Madness 2018 / Match Madness 2018
Join Radio One Raleigh along with ABC11 for Match Madness – Bone Marrow Donor Registration Drive on Saturday from 11am – 2pm at the Streets of Southpoint Mall in Durham.
Alexandria Stallings lives and works in Raleigh, NC. In the Summer of 2017, at the age of 45 Alexandria was diagnosed with MDS (Myelodysplastic Syndrome), which is a rare disease also known as pre-leukemia. There are fewer than 200,00 cases per year. This was the same disease that Robin Roberts had.
Listen as Alexandria talks with Melissa about her journey
After I was tested and not found to be a match, we had to go to the Bone Marrow registry. The doctors opted to go with Stem Cells and Alexandria chose to be a part of a test study to see how that would work. I donated my daughter’s stem cells when she was born, so I like to think they are hers that helped save my sister’s life. On December 13, Alexandria had her bone marrow transplant at Duke University Hospital. Prior to the transplant, Alex had to go through very intense radiation and chemotherapy to completely kill her immune system to prepare it to receive the transplant. After being in the hospital for almost a month, Alex was released, but had to go to the clinic daily for treatment. She had to have someone with her at all times. Although she was released from the hospital shortly after Christmas, the real healing began at home. The process of her body accepting the new cells, as well as her body also releasing the chemo and radiation was something to see. It was a difficult time and even harder to watch. The chemo caused her to loose her hair, the radiation changed the color of her skin. But the blessing was always there. She has amazing insurance and had a rotation of at least 5 caregivers at any given time. So her only worry was to get well, which we know is such a huge blessing. Others have to not only heal, but have to worry about lack of insurance and caregivers. Or their caregivers or caregiver can be overwhelmed because it’s all on them.
We are grateful and now, after a long process, next week, Alexandria will be able to go home (we have been staying in a hotel for the past 3 months so she could be close to Duke’s Clinics and Hospitals). To God Be all the Glory for his Grace and Mercy. This is why Be the Match means so much to us.. It so important, and literally saved her life.
