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As a high school teacher, Aaron took pride in guiding young minds and shaping futures. But in late 2020, something felt off as his energy dwindled and unexplained heart palpitations began troubling him.
After he took his concerns to his doctor, blood tests revealed a drastic drop in his hemoglobin and white blood cell counts. His doctor immediately referred him to a hematologist for further testing.
Aaron continued to decline, and without a firm diagnosis he received red cell transfusions which gave him an uptick in energy and stabilized him for a few weeks. In February 2021, Aaron was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and admitted to the hospital. He immediately began a vigorous chemotherapy protocol while also receiving multiple platelet transfusions to support him over the next several months.
His care team deliberated over the next steps, and ultimately recommended that Aaron undergo consolidation therapy, a grueling process of delivering a single high dose of chemotherapy through several infusions. At first, the results seemed promising with Aaron in remission for the next 11 months, until a blood test revealed a tiny percentage of aggressive cells remained. It was then that he knew he needed to consider a stem cell transplant. Aaron received a stem cell transplant in July 2022 from his younger sister, a 100% match.
“My experience changed my life in a profound way,” Aaron says. While he is still managing some side effects from his treatment, he remains thankful. “I've learned to appreciate the small things in life, and see any challenge is never impossible to overcome.”
As the proud father of two healthy boys, Aaron leads by example. He continues teaching full time and focusing on community service. As a Vitalant blood drive coordinator since late 2023 and an advocate since 2022, he holds community-wide Vitalant blood drives twice a year at the high school where he teaches. Understanding Aaron’s story and the importance of blood donations for patients like him, his students eagerly line up at the blood drives to donate, show their support and make a positive impact in their community.
Blood drive coordinators and advocates like Aaron are vital in ensuring a safe and ample blood supply for patients in need, both by creating donation opportunities in their communities and inspiring the next generation of blood donors. Learn how you can host a blood drive here and find resources to help empower your blood donation advocacy efforts here.