I was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) on my 11th birthday after having nosebleeds that lasted hours for months. Throughout my treatments, which included radiation and chemotherapy for a bone marrow transplant, it was my nurses who were there educating me and my family and helping me stay hopeful and entertained throughout the weeks. Even though it was really difficult, they helped us through it. I wanted to share my experience with other kids, so I wrote and published a book that I was able to dedicate and donate to my hospital a few years later. Moving to today, I recently graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing because I was so inspired by the nurses who cared for me. I got to do my final clinical rotation on a pediatric oncology floor which was so interesting because I was now on the opposite side. I was awarded for my volunteer work with Be The Match as an ambassador where I encouraged people to join the bone marrow registry as potential donors. Now I am so excited to start my career, and I hope to make the same positive impact on my patients as my nurses did during such a difficult time in my life.
Imani
myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)
