In 1996 Gayle Serls was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia, an aggressive and often fatal cancer of the white blood cells. She underwent chemotherapy, but it would not cure the aggressive form of cancer she had. Serl’s doctor decided she should undergo a bone marrow transplant.
Age 45 at the time, Serls had a difficult time finding an adult bone marrow transplant program. When she finally found that Johns Hopkins University offered a procedure called an autologous bone marrow transplant—meaning taking her own cells, “cleaning them up,” and putting them back into her body. However, before Serls could undergo the transplant, she had a severe relapse and had to be flown back to Duke University Medical Center to undergo more chemotherapy.
Now, adult cord blood cells can be used to treat leukemia and lymphoma for adults with lymphocytic leukemia. However, in 1996, this procedure had been performed on children but was unheard of for adults. Serls was dying from leukemia, so she felt she had no alternative choice. Leukemia prevents the body from creating healthy blood cells, so in patients like Serls, transplanted stem cells can help the patient’s body generate healthy blood cells that replace cancerous cells. Upon learning about the experimental cord blood transplantation, Serls tracked down Mary Laughlin, who was an assistant professor of medicine at Duke University at the time. Laughlin was conducting a clinical trial on cord blood transplants in adults.
In May 1997, she underwent the cord blood transplantation. The procedure was surprisingly simple. She was hooked up to an IV that delivered life-saving liquid from a pint-sized bag. Serls was conscious throughout the procedure. Doctors had found a suitable cord blood stem cell donor for Serls, but because it was not an exact match, there was a chance Serls could develop a condition called Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHS), in which T cells of the recipient attack the new cells. A few weeks after the transplant, Serls did develop the condition; but fortunately it was treatable.
It took nine weeks after her treatment, Serls was able to go home. She was extremely fatigued and had a difficult time eating. Nevertheless, the healing had begun. Her body generated new, healthy blood cells. Now, 10 years since her procedure, Serls says proudly, “I’m one of the longest-surviving adults who have had the transplant in the world.” She adds, “The longer I live from that moment, the more it means to me to have had that opportunity.”
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