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I'm Like You: Briana Donis

Person's Name: 
Briana Donis

Homecoming queen and top student Briana Donis always wanted to go to the University of Texas at Austin.
“I was having a pretty awesome year.  I was very well known at school and I had a boyfriend.”  She had just been accepted at the school of her choice when she noticed how really tired she was all the time. And then the bleeding started.

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2014 Matthew Debono Scholarship Winner Thomas Howlett

Person's Name: 
Thomas Howlett

Thomas is thankful he has a future. He wasn’t so sure when in March 2011 he was told as a high school freshman that “he wouldn’t be playing paintball for a while.” Thomas was diagnosed with MDS that quickly progressed into

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2014 Matthew Debono Scholarship Winner Annette Lysan

Person's Name: 
Annette Lysan

In March, Annette had the honor of singing a solo for her high school senior show. She chose to sing “I Was Here”, a song recorded by the group Lady Antebellum and others. The lyrics for the chorus start with “I wanna do something that matters – say something different – something that sets the whole world on its ear – I wanna do something better with the time I’ve been given.” She considers it her personal anthem.

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An Unusual Route to Diagnosis

Person's Name: 
Jane Massey

Although it sounds strange, I am beginning to believe that breast cancer possibly has saved my life. In October 2015, I was diagnosed with stage 2 lobular carcinoma of the breast. My cancer was found during my routine mammogram. I opted for a bi-lateral mastectomy and then had 33 radiation treatments in early 2016.  I saw my oncologist every month due to my treatment and she ran blood work every time.

Bone Marrow Disease(s): 
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I'm Like You: Anna Sobon

Person's Name: 
Anna Sobon

19-year-old Anna Sobon had been a typical college sophomore, active and full of plans about making her dreams come true.
When she began to get increasingly tired, she  thought it was due to her hectic schedule or maybe some lingering after-effects of her bout with mononucleosis the previous summer. Even as her strength was dwindling, Anna stayed determined to keep up with her daily routines while she waited for her symptoms to simply go away.

Bone Marrow Disease(s): 
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