In early 2022, Steven was 30 years old, working as a warehouse manager and dating his now-wife, Julia. His life took a turn in May of that year when Steven was hospitalized with what turned out to be T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia – a cancer with no known cause. He spent over a month in the hospital.
I have my life today because of an NIH study. There’s no way around the truth that if research funding cuts go through Congress, patients will lose their lives, and families will lose their loved ones.
Steven and Julia were devastated. The little they thought they knew about leukemia, especially his specific subtype, was that the outlook was bleak, with limited treatment options for adults and low survival rates. They were happily corrected by Steven’s care team. They learned that in the 15 years before Steven’s diagnosis, research had moved forward by leaps and bounds, and he had a good chance of surviving.
Steven’s care team was particularly experienced in his type of cancer, including an oncologist who ran a National Institute of Health-supported study that dramatically increased survival rates for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients in Steven’s age group. As his wife shared, “I don’t think Steven would still be here today if it wasn’t for this study.”
After getting his first hopeful scan showing progress in late September of 2022, Steven proposed to Julia – his partner & biggest supporter. But in the following days, he developed life-threatening complications and spent most of October, November, and December in the hospital. In total, Steven spent around 100 days hospitalized that year.
Finally, in February 2023, Steven was confirmed to be in remission.
He continued a maintenance chemotherapy regimen for nearly three years, taking oral chemotherapy daily as well as receiving chemotherapy directly into his spinal column and intravenously in the clinic every 4 weeks. To manage side effects, he relied on a long list of medications, including Zofran – one of the earliest breakthrough drugs that helps patients control nausea and vomiting.
Steven and Julia are thrilled to have been proven wrong about their initial assumptions of Steven’s leukemia prognosis. Since his diagnosis, they’ve gotten married, welcomed a dog, Basil, and enjoyed priceless time with each other, friends, and family. They credit their current life together to advancements in cancer research.