Bernie Ketterl always enjoyed helping others by regularly donating blood. He didn’t realize that this simple act of kindness would also help save his life.

Lisa Fennell, a food services employee at Nebraska Medicine for more than five years, took a leave of absence in May 2024 after being diagnosed with a type of blood cancer called myelodysplastic neoplasm.

Mary Robinson's blood type is now A+. The teacher of visually impaired students and mother of four also has male DNA. “I may have male DNA in my bone marrow, but I didn’t grow a beard,” she laughs. These two miracles are proof positive of her successful stem cell transplant.

Your best mode of prevention, says Dr. Bhatt, is to keep up with your annual exams, which often include routine blood tests that can identify the disease.

Battling cancer is no walk in the park, as Jeff Hockett, a five-year cancer survivor, can attest to. But sitting on the sideline watching a loved one endure cancer can often be equally as emotional and painful.

Steve Waller is bucking the trend. Diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), which puts you at greater risk for developing acute myeloid leukemia (AML), he is now living cancer free after a successful blood stem cell transplant at the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center. Read Waller’s story.