Athletic Canadian Continues Studies while in Treatment for Severe Aplastic Anemia: Geordy's Story

Geordy’s youth was an active one.  Baseball, Soccer, and Hockey filled his days, even competing in the Little League World Series!

He was active in his family’s church, too.  When offered the opportunity to go on a Youth with a Mission (YWAM) program to Australia, he traveled from his home in British Columbia to participate.  Once there, the spark of ministry became a calling, so he attended college in Saskatchewan to become a pastor.

When he returned to British Columbia in 2009, he found it difficult to find a position, so he began studying to become a psychologist. At the same time, his affection grew for a friend he met at YWAM. Because she lived 800 miles away, their relationship began long-distance, then he moved to her city in Alberta, and they were married in 2012.  Their plans included the usual dreams: a family, a home, a long life together.

Suddenly, only about 25 months after their wedding and the day after his wife’s 30th birthday, routine bloodwork showed a problem.

“Your blood levels are so low, we don’t know how you are standing up right now.  You could have leukemia. You need to go to the ER.”

Geordy couldn’t wrap his head around this news.  He thought he was in great health, just slower than he used to be.  He had thought his jaundice was just a good tan from a recent vacation in California.  

The next day when he finally arrived at Emergency, they said, “How are you even standing up?  How long have you been feeling tired?” His parents called after he was admitted to the hospital, but he told them not to worry, he’d be out in a week.

Slowly, he came to realize that his health problem was more than he had thought. He had a painful bone marrow biopsy procedure, performed by someone new to the procedure.  

When the test results came back, the first thing he and his wife were told: it’s not cancer.  Their relief was short-lived as the consultant explained that the diagnosis of Severe Aplastic Anemia was life-threatening.

Yet Geordy felt well enough to continue his daily routine of working full time and studying for his Master’s degree. He required blood products weekly during this time.  

The doctors decided to try Revolade for a while which was unsuccessful at supporting his blood levels. Also suggested he eat a Mediterranean diet.  He and his wife had decided to purchase a home during this time and continued life as much as normal. Shortly after, he was informed he would require a Bone Marrow Transplant and would have to travel from Alberta to British Columbia for this procedure.

After eight months of transfusions, they traveled to Vancouver for his transplant hopeful and relieved knowing his sister would be his donor, a 10/10 match! He had to wait a month until a bed was open for him, while living with his Oma [grandmother]. He required ongoing blood and platelet infusions as an outpatient until he became an inpatient and then quickly began the process of chemotherapy to deplete his immune system for preparation of the transplant. 

During the 40 days in the hospital, Geordy says he relied on God to get him through this time. In spite of all the emotions---fear, anger, and more---he was able to return to hope thanks to his faith.

Geordy decided he was going to beat the disease and thrive after transplant.  He made a commitment to use the exercise bike every day, and he kept that promise. During the sensitive period post-transplant, he endured an infection and a blood clot on his lung and successfully fought so hard not to be moved to the ICU through one intense feverous night.  He also dealt with varying rare reactions to medications including mysterious red lesions to form across his body and became quite the observation specimen for all the dermatology Dr’s and students to study. Slowly but surely he saw his blood levels rise day by day as his new bone marrow started to take effect.

During the time after transplant, Geordy was very worried for his wife.  He knew she had wanted children from the time she herself was a child, and the previous fertility preservation measures were not successful.  He was released after 40 days on Easter Monday, 2015 .He then spent the next three months in Vancouver as an outpatient being monitored while his blood levels continued to stabilize before he was given the full release to return back home to Alberta.

Although his transplant journey was difficult for both Geordy and his wife, he says they learned so much as a couple as well as individually.  As he recovered, he completed his practicum and Master’s to start work in counseling.  Of his time in the hospital, he can now remember the cherry trees blooming outside the hospital in addition to all his difficult experiences within, small reminders of hope made visible to hold on to.

Now ten years later, in 2025, they have three young children, a result of a long journey with fertility treatments.  He is very healthy and exercises daily, never having had any significant symptoms of Graft Versus Host Disease. He owns his own thriving practice, where he concentrates on counseling men. 

Looking back, Geordy reflects on his time in treatment. “You feel like everything is happening to you instead of having any power as a patient.”  His advice includes making sure you are advocating for yourself, noting that he could have demanded someone other than a student perform his bone marrow aspiration.  He advises that you can exercise or do other things during treatment to look at your whole body, not just your blood, to take care of other parts of your body as well, including good nutrition.  He decided during treatment that he would use his faith, his family support, exercise, and everything within his power to defeat Severe Aplastic Anemia.