Grateful survivors gather at BMT reunion

Nearly 200 former patients attend seventh Bone Marrow Transplant Survivor Reunion at Fred Hutch

August 1, 2015 • By Fred Hutch News Service Staff

photo of a man and a woman hugging. The back of the man's shirt reads: "2015 BMT Survivor Reunion - Fred Hutch" — Kate Pittman, from Lilburn, Ga., hugs a fellow survivor at the 2015 BMT reunion at Fred Hutch. Photo by Bo Jungmayer / Fred Hutch News Service

Nearly 200 former patients attended the seventh Bone Marrow Transplant Survivor Reunion at Fred Hutch on July 24-25, 2015. Transplant recipients and their donors, families and caregivers shared stories, heard presentations about new advances in treatment, saw labs where groundbreaking research is taking place and celebrated with a reception at Seattle’s Museum of History & Industry.

“This weekend is to honor all of you,” said Dr. Fred Appelbaum, Fred Hutch deputy director and executive vice president.

Jessica Horton reads her daughter Molly's "I am grateful for" card. Linda Horton, Jessica's mother and Molly's grandmother, looks over her shoulder. Molly, 13, is a seven-year BMT survivor. The Hortons are from Gig Harbor, Washington.

Photos by Robert Hood / Fred Hutch News Service

photo inside a laboratory. one person holds up a vial while several other people watch — Bina Sugumar, a research tech in the Susan Parkhurst Lab, shows fruit flies to Bone Marrow Transplant Reunion attendees on July 24 at Fred Hutch. Photo by Bo Jungmayer / Fred Hutch News Service

photo of Rainer Storb standing with his arms folded and smiling as people around him clap and look at him — Bone marrow transplant reunion attendees acknowledge Dr. Rainer Storb as his professional accomplishments are read during his introduction at the BMT reunion on the Fred Hutch campus in Seattle on July 24. Photo by Robert Hood / Fred Hutch News Service

The Bone Marrow Transplant Issue

Read the rest of our series, originally published in Hutch Magazine in summer 2015:

One life — and a world of possibilities
The impact of bone marrow transplantation: One patient's story

'The successes kept you going'
Dr. Fred Appelbaum recounts 40 years of difficult and exhilirating advances in bone marrow transplantation

Bone marrow transplant ins and outs (graphic)
Steps in the transplant process, BMT timeline and more

A pioneering procedure's expanding influence
Developed to treat leukemia, stem cell transplants gave rise to new therapies for an ever-growing number of patients and conditions

'This little bag of cells is going to save her life'
A girl and her mom remember a lifesaving transplant

people sit and watch something that is not pictured. in the foreground is a man sitting and a woman standing behind him and leaning on his shoulders — Cindi Cervone and her husband, David, a 30-year transplant survivor from Sterling Heights, Mich., listen to Dr. Fred Appelbaum speak during the welcome reception. Photo by Robert Hood / Fred Hutch News Service

photo of Gary Gilliland giving a speech with a large video of him behind him — Fred Hutch President and Director Dr. Gary Gilliland thanks BMT survivors and their families for helping to push cancer research forward during his speech at the BMT reception July 25 at Seattle's Museum of History & Industry. Photo by Robert Hood / Fred Hutch News Service

Robert Hood is the senior multimedia producer at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. He worked on the award-winning multimedia team at MSNBC.com and NBCNews.com for almost two decades, covering national and international news and coordinating special projects. Before that he taught photojournalism at the University of Missouri, worked as a newspaper page designer in Missouri, and worked as a newspaper photojournalist in Missouri, Wyoming and Utah. Reach him at rbhood@fredhutch.org.

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One life — and a world of possibilities The impact of bone marrow transplantation: One patient's story August 1, 2015

‘The successes kept you going’: 40 years of bone marrow transplantation On the eve of ‘Emperor’ cancer documentary, Dr. Fred Appelbaum recounts 40 years of difficult and exhilarating advances in bone marrow transplantation March 27, 2015

A pioneering procedure’s expanding influence Developed to treat leukemia, stem cell transplants gave rise to new therapies for an ever-growing number of patients and conditions August 1, 2015

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