HSCT Warriors

Warrior: Rachel Gallery AI: Chronic Demyelinating Polyneuropathy Disease HSCT: Oct 19, 2020 Superpower: Empathy Do you consider yourself a lucky person? How often do you receive treatment for autoimmune disease? How layered is your circle of support? After spending nearly a year with strange symptom progression, a neurologist was finally able to diagnose Rachel when IVIG helped to offset some of h...

Warrior: Erin Schoenlein AI: Multiple Sclerosis HSCT: March 15, 2020 Superpower: energy to help other people How wide is your view? Do you know what it feels like to be well? For how long have you been distanced? Having been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in high school, Erin is no stranger to advocacy for well-being and the importance of spinning challenges into positive opportunities. Alth...

Warrior: DeWayne Durr AI: Multiple Sclerosis HSCT: Oct 29, 2020 Superpower: Confidence How supported do you feel? To what extent do you think about each step that lies ahead? Continuing from where we left off in this two part episode, tune in to learn from DeWayne as he shares more about his experience navigating his return to work, changes with his diet, and considerations for health and wellness...

Warrior: DeWayne Durr AI: Multiple Sclerosis HSCT: Oct 29, 2020 Superpower: Confidence Are you one to Check-in with DeWayne to hear more about his experience as the first patient to receive HSCT for Multiple Sclerosis at the Cleveland Clinic. With so many details about his experiences with the myeloablative protocol of the BEAT-MS study, including securing insurance coverage, the staff and his in-...

Warrior: Joceline AI: Multiple Sclerosis HSCT: soon in 2021? Superpowers: doing nothing How comfortable are you with uncertainty? Are you able to leave the unknown alone? How do you find patience when you find yourself on the brink? Picking up where we left off in this two part episode, tune in to learn more about how Joceline reacted to the idea of incorporating a wheelchair as an assistive devic...

Warrior: Joceline AI: Multiple Sclerosis HSCT: sometime in 2021? Superpowers: doing nothing How do you establish trust in the systems? How many doctors have you fired? How do you find patience when you find yourself on the brink? After initially being brushed off by doctors, once diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Joceline found she wasn’t interested in pursuing medication for what she felt doctor...

Warrior: Amy Capel AI: Multiple Sclerosis HSCT: October 2021 Superpower: mentality To what extent are you distracted? Have you ever been on the outside looking in? We first met Amy in Season 7 when she described her struggle to understand the disease and the storm of negative side effects from the first medication she tried. Thanks to a friend who had success with HSCT, Amy was convinced and commi...

Warrior: DeWayne Durr AI: Multiple Sclerosis HSCT: October 20, 2020 Superpowers: gratitude Do you enjoy finding the why? How often do you extend gratitude? As the first person to receive HSCT as a part of the BEAT-MS trial at the Cleveland Clinic, DeWayne has graciously offered great insights throughout his journey, including this update at nearly two-years post-transplant. From the strategies he...

Warrior: Allison Carr AI: Multiple Sclerosis HSCT: December, 2014 Superpowers: hope and grit Are you motivated to give back to others? To what extent do you recognize superpowers in others? How challenging is it for you to be optimistic? As someone who spent nearly twenty years battling the unknown, Allison was surprised to be approached by a stranger curious about her drop foot, and even more sur...

Warrior: Alisha Daly AI: Multiple Sclerosis HSCT: hopeful Superpower: Resilience and compassion How fair is the playing field in your experience with autoimmune disease? How far have you been strung along before receiving a diagnosis? Despite a severe bout of optic neuritis, it took more than four visits to the emergency room and multiple specialists weighing in before an MRI was ordered to help a...

Warrior: Rebecca Katonica AI: Multiple Sclerosis HSCT: November 2018 Superpower: Grace Do you try to explain away that which might be serious? When was the last time you took a leap of faith? After an explosive headache behind her eyes, Rebecca found herself at the eye doctor who ordered an MRI that evidenced lesions and diagnosed her with multiple sclerosis. Insistent that she could still partici...

Warrior: Cecilia Reyes AI: Multiple Sclerosis HSCT: July, 2018 Superpower: Resilience To what extent has your view softened? To what extent are you learning as you move through life? Do you find blessings and opportunities in the challenges you face? Check-in with Cecilia at four years post-transplant and learn from the many insights shared and be inspired to find a compassionate journey with your...

Warrior: Steve Apperson AI: Multiple Sclerosis HSCT: April 9, 2015 Superpower: compassion Is there anything you can’t do? How often do you find time for reflection? How often do you have space to go within? After initial symptoms that occurred years apart, when Steve found himself unable to run without foot drop after the same three miles, he consulted with his doctor and after a week, received th...

Warrior: Elyse Meyer AI: Lupus and Sjogren’s HSCT: July 2020 Superpower: not afraid to try new things Are you aware of being comfortable? How do you define success? How do you define quality of life? Despite maxing out every possible treatment option, including biologics and steroids, Elyse’s immune system was attacked by two different autoimmune conditions. Diagnosed when bloodwork before a medic...

Warrior: Ali Roberts AI: Multiple Sclerosis HSCT: November 6, 2017 Superpower: Motivation Are you someone who feels your emotions? Do you focus on what can (v. can’t) be done? Can you find the present in each moment? The beginning of a new season offers the opportunity to check in with Ali and how she is faring, nearly five post-HSCT. Tune in to learn how Ali is managing menopause, strategies for...

Warrior: Vic Bonilla AI: Multiple Sclerosis HSCT: Oct 2020 Superpower: unbreakable resolve Have you ever felt like an observer of your life? Have you stared down the barrel of mortality? Is the patience you have with others, the same, greater, or less than the patience you have with yourself? Within a few months of being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Vic was connected with someone who was tra...

Warrior: Chloe Zallen AI: Relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis HSCT: Oct/Nov 2020 Superpowers: self-love Are you able to recognize your limitations? Are you aware of your stressors? As a traveling cardiac specialist with experience at several hospitals, Chloe found herself in an extremely stressful environment with a lot of fear incited by the uncertainties of her MS. When she suddenly had numbn...

Warrior: Christy Miller Kuziensky AI: MS HSCT: February 2021 in Monterrey Superpowers: patience and trust in Clinica Ruiz Have you been fortunate enough to find confidence in your big decisions? How has patience served you along your journey? Are you comfortable showing up with no expectations? With arm numbness that led to her diagnosis at the age of 24, Christy experienced some time without many...

Warrior: Ovi James AI: MS HSCT: February 2021 Superpower: mindset How well do you navigate self-advocacy? After years of terrible headaches and issues with standing and walking, Ovi ended up losing her job and her home which caused significant relapses that rendered her disabled. As a single mother, Ovi’s goal was to focus on the positive and help her son “see the light at the end of the tunnel” e...

Warrior: Lynn Rogers AI: Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) HSCT Hopeful: Superpower: widened lens Have you ever worried about asking people for help when their investment isn't a sure thing? How do you define barriers to treatment for your autoimmune disease? As a triathlete, crossfit-er, and marathoner preparing for an Ironman race, imagine the frustration when Lynn found h...

Warrior: Sagira Ahmed Norris AI: Multiple Sclerosis HSCT: January 2020 Superpower: flexibility Are you someone who prefers to schedule a plan for every detail in life? Do you After first being diagnosed, Sagira found herself more driven than ever to complete life goals ahead of schedule while she was able, including travel to foreign countries to run marathons. Once her symptoms began matching wha...

Warrior: Brooke Slick AI: Multiple Sclerosis HSCT: 2013 Superpower: surrender Are you able to surrender to all that seems out of your control? How easy is it for you to allow things to just happen? Revisit Brooke’s journey to HSCT and learn more about the setbacks she has faced post-HSCT, (including surgeries for trigeminal neuralgia) but also the influence of mindset, and the inspirations she has...

Warrior: Felicia Merritt AI: Progressive Multiple Sclerosis HSCT: August 2020 Superpower: Feeling invincible Have you ever suddenly realized just how much you were taking for granted? Have you been able to find internal strength? What about internal peace? Shortly after turning 30, Felicia began experiencing vision issues and weakness. Following an intense crossfit workout, Felicia hoped she could...

Warrior: Marlo Kalb AI: Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis HSCT: confidence to fight back Superpower: 9.30.19 How will you face the many curves that lie ahead? Diagnosed at just 13 years old, Marlo found herself eager for HSCT after doing research and listening to this podcast. First interviewed as a HSCT Hopeful during Season 2, Marlo shared her journey to become the first person transplanted...

Warrior: Mendo Micevski AI: Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis HSCT: June 2021 Superpower: Mindset Are you someone who prefers to live in the shadows? How well do you notice the ‘chalk and cheese’? After years of noticing odd symptoms that doctors could not figure out, Mendo was walking to dinner one Saturday evening when his vision became blurry and doubled in his left eye. The following day...