It’s one thing to fight a battle to save your own life, it’s another to make it your mission to save the lives of others.
“It’s been tough and it’s only going to get worse before it gets better,” Lang said.
Local 4 has followed Lang’s story from when she was diagnosed at 26 years old to the devastating news that she could not find a match on the bone marrow registry. She championed her own event in hopes of finding a donor.
“We didn’t find any matches for me,” Lang said.
Doctors suggested to use stem cells from donated umbilical cords.
“The umbilical cords, you don’t have to be as much of a match as you do if an adult donated to another person because those cells are still undifferentiated,” Lang said. “So they found two cords that I matched almost, almost perfectly and so I was able to use those cells to get my transplant.”
“I just celebrated eight years in remission in June, so I’m very grateful and I’m just humbled and honored to be able to pay that forward through my organization, Rockin’ For a Match, to raise awareness.”
“Just to join the bone marrow registry … you fill out an eligibility form and then you get a cotton swab and you just swab the inside of your cheek for 30 seconds to a minute,” Lang said. “It means everything to me because this organization, this will be our ninth year, so and we’ve registered almost 600 people into the bone marrow registry in that time. So, that’s potentially 600 lives saved, you know, just like my own. I know my family and I were devastated when I didn’t have a match on the registry.”
Lang started her own business as a health coach, teaching clients about nutrition.
It’s one thing to fight a battle to save your own life, it’s another to make it your mission to save the lives of others.
“It’s been tough and it’s only going to get worse before it gets better,” Lang said.
Local 4 has followed Lang’s story from when she was diagnosed at 26 years old to the devastating news that she could not find a match on the bone marrow registry. She championed her own event in hopes of finding a donor.
“We didn’t find any matches for me,” Lang said.
Doctors suggested to use stem cells from donated umbilical cords.
“The umbilical cords, you don’t have to be as much of a match as you do if an adult donated to another person because those cells are still undifferentiated,” Lang said. “So they found two cords that I matched almost, almost perfectly and so I was able to use those cells to get my transplant.”
“I just celebrated eight years in remission in June, so I’m very grateful and I’m just humbled and honored to be able to pay that forward through my organization, Rockin’ For a Match, to raise awareness.”
“Just to join the bone marrow registry … you fill out an eligibility form and then you get a cotton swab and you just swab the inside of your cheek for 30 seconds to a minute,” Lang said. “It means everything to me because this organization, this will be our ninth year, so and we’ve registered almost 600 people into the bone marrow registry in that time. So, that’s potentially 600 lives saved, you know, just like my own. I know my family and I were devastated when I didn’t have a match on the registry.”
Lang started her own business as a health coach, teaching clients about nutrition.
For article, click below:
Source: Metro Detroit cancer survivor organizes Rockin’ For a Match to get people on bone marrow registry
