GAINESVILLE - A young Hall County woman is hoping a packed gymnasium at East Hall County High School Wednesday will bring her the bone marrow match she needs.
Kelsey Trusty Bishop is 23, young for a sufferer of acute myeloid leukemia. After a year in remission, the cancer has returned.
"Unfortunately my siblings, I have three, including a twin brother, none of them are matches," Bishop said on the Tuesday edition of WDUN's Morning News with Bill and Joel.
Bethematch.org is hosting a drive from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday to hopefully find Kelsey's match.
"I'm really hoping to have a huge turnout and hoping to find that one match. All it is is a cheek swab, so we're really excited and hoping to have a huge, huge, huge turnout," Bishop said.
Diagnosed in November 2011, Kelsey and her husband Trevor were thrilled when they got the news of her first remission. A little over a year later, and pregnant with the couple's first child, Kelsey learned of the relapse.
Doctors recommended a bone marrow transplant following the birth of the baby. In the meantime, Kelsey underwent chemotherapy to help keep the cancer at bay. At 17 weeks, Kelsey and Trevor lost their baby.
"It seemed the world was crashing in on me. It was hard."
Kelsey and family are keeping the faith while she waits for a donor match.
"My Jesus been good to us. It's a blessing that such a treatment option even exists. 20 years ago I would be just 'living to die' and my disease would be considered terminal. This is a curative therapy and I actually feel privileged to be one of the 5500 people to receive a transplant this year," Kelsey said.
Kelsey and family were hosted by Chick-fil-A in Gainesville Monday night to raise money for the drive. The restaurant donated a percentage of its sales to go for the drive.
Bone marrow match drive for Kelsey Trusty Bishop
East Hall High School gymnasium
3534 East Hall Road
Gainesville, GA 30507
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Thursday
April 25th, 2024
10:35AM
