Learn about this patient’s experience at The Blood Cancer Center at The Jewish Hospital — and how they helped him beat cancer.
Chris Herrell is an avid runner. So when began having to stop to catch his breath after running less than a mile, he knew something was wrong. Chris went to the doctor and soon learned he had aplastic anemia.
Chris needed a bone marrow transplant. Since there were no donors in the registry that were a match, Chris began helping with bone marrow drives, while receiving blood and platelet transfusions from his doctors. Once his team found a match, Chris underwent a week of chemo. Then he received his bone marrow transplant at The Blood Cancer Center at The Jewish Hospital.
“Quality of care here is second to none,” Chris says. “The doctors, the nurses, the cleaning crew — from top to bottom it is top notch.”
Three years after his bone marrow transplant, Chris is back to playing with his kids, coaching sports teams and running the steps at Great American Ballpark, where he works for the Cincinnati Reds. Though he was feeling healthy and strong, there was still one thing left for Chris to do.
Chris wanted to find his donor. Because Chris’ donor was from Germany, he had to wait two years to meet him.
The team at The Blood Cancer Center was able to step in and help. Once they found Chris’ donor, they flew him to Cincinnati. In Cincinnati, Chris met his donor at Jewish Hospital. Chris was even able to arrange for his donor to throw the first pitch at a Reds game. 200 supporters and patients from The Blood Cancer Center in attendance cheered him along.
“I primarily go to Dr. Essell, but if you don’t see [him] you’re still in good hands,” Chris says. “Every single one of those guys is top notch.”
Reach out to our team today if you’re interested in learning more about blood cancer care.
