Sister - Sister BMT Patient: Donna Holladay (right) BMT Donor: Gina Hastings (left)

BMT patient Donna Holladay was diagnosed with leukemia (AML) back in August 2005. She was referred to the UAB Bone Marrow Transplantation Program (Dr. William P. Vaughan) from her referring physician located in Columbus Ga. After meeting with Dr. Vaughan in consult, Donna was determined to be an excellent candidate for a bone marrow transplant. When asked if she had any concerns about her transplant she said “I was determined to live my life cancer-free”. She added, “I believe that’s the way God wanted me to live”. The next stage of Donna’s treatment was to find a donor. Immediately, her sister Gina was typed to see if she was a “perfect match”. Even though her chances were 1-out-of-4, Gina proved to be a perfect match for her sister. Gina laughs when she says “my sister and I have very different personalities, so I was amazed when we discovered we were a perfect genetic match”. Donna underwent her bone marrow transplant. Donna says she will never forget that date because 23 years earlier on that day she had her first date with her husband. When asked how she was doing, she replied “I'm doing great and in excellent condition”. No doubt her positive attitude and outlook on life have made a difference in her treatment. During her transplant experience she says she has learned many new lessons, one of them is to “don’t sweat the small stuff” and concentrate on the important things in life. In addition, her faith has been greatly strengthened. When asked about the quality of care here at UAB Hospital, she described the physicians, nurses, and care-givers as “excellent”. She said the nursing staff not only provides excellent medical care but are also “emotionally supportive”. Family has also been very supportive to Donna. Her sister-in-law Donna Sherrill has been “right there with her” throughout the entire transplant process. Donna’s sister Gina when asked to describe her experience said “this has been a very humbling experience and I would gladly give the gift of life to anyone who needs it. Gina highly recommends becoming a bone marrow transplant donor.