More than 25 years ago, young Chris Costello was always on the move, enjoyed playing with his friends, and was active in sports. Then, one day, his parents noticed some unusual bruising on his legs. When the bruises started showing up on his arms and didn’t go away, they decided to take Chris to his pediatrician to get checked out.
After some routine blood work, the Costello family received an unexpected visit from the pediatrician, this time at their home. The news their doctor brought was something that no parent wants to hear. A diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
Chris underwent a treatment regiment that included chemotherapy, and six months after his diagnosis, tests showed that his cancer was in remission. But it wouldn’t last.
A year after his original diagnosis, Chris needed a bone marrow transplant to survive. After testing his family and holding a bone marrow drive, there was still no match. The University of Rochester Medical Center team then turned to the bone marrow registry.
Little did they know that this step, routine in the care of many leukemia patients like Chris, would lead to an extraordinary turn of events that would not only save his life, but create an incredibly meaningful friendship that has spanned a quarter century.
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www.urmc.rochester.edu/cancer...