Transplant Granted

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Created on Thursday, 04 February 2016 22:01

Written by Lily Elmore

LYNDONVILLE, VT- Jane Rivera has been battling cancer for a year and a half; now she can be at peace with some news her and her family have been waiting for. After waiting one month after the NVRH bone marrow and stem cell drive, tomorrow she will be traveling to Boston to receive her stem cell transplant.

 When she told her friends and family the news, they were overjoyed and began planning what they were going to do for her when she returns home.

Originally Rivera thought it would be two years before finding a donor.

“Now I have a match! At first I was like really? And then I was like tearing up because it means so much to me to have another chance of life which is really important”, Rivera said.

Throughout this time she came to terms with her disease.

 “[I] kind of feel like cancer is a gift in a way because it really helps you to understand what a beautiful place we live in,” says Rivera.

Even though Rivera’s donor remains anonymous that doesn’t stop her gratitude.

“I would say thank you from the bottom of my heart because you’ve given me life.”

Rivera remains in an isolated environment leading up to the transplant.

Her treatment in Boston consists of a week of chemotherapy, which will wipe out her immune system after a day off she will get her transplant.  Rivera will then be in recovery for 100 days.