LifeServe - Beth's Story

It was May 2021, and Beth Ades went to her local doctor with strange bruises on her legs, but otherwise felt great. Bloodwork showed critically low platelets and she spent the night in the hospital. Soon after, Beth had her first bone marrow biopsy. She received her first platelet transfusion later that month.
Beth's blood counts began to drop and it was determined she was in bone marrow failure, which meant her body was only producing immature blood cells that were dying before becoming full cells. She began receiving platelet and blood transfusions at least twice per week, just to stay alive. She was given a diagnosis of Myelodysplastic Syndrome in November of 2021.
Her doctors determined that she would need an allogenic stem cell transplant to live. Both of Beth's sisters were tested to see if they could be a stem cell donor, but neither was a match. The National Marrow Donor Program (formerly known as Be The Match) located a 19-year old female from Germany who was in their database. The NMDP contacted the potential donor, and she agreed to donate her stems cells to Beth.
Beth then moved to Rochester, Minnesota in February 2022 to begin chemotherapy to completely irradiate her immune system so that her body wouldn’t fight the new stem cells. She had 18 rounds of chemotherapy in 6 days, then her transplant was on February 17, 2022. She was required to live in MN for 100 days following the transplant.
She required more than 70 transfusions that kept her alive before she received her stem cell transplant. Now, thanks to the amazing donor, her body is producing healthy blood again.