Original published date: 8/29/2024

Getting cancer once is hard enough. But three times? In seven years? Before even graduating college? Hillary Husband is truly a warrior.

She’d already overcome blood cancer twice when she got hit with an aggressive form of leukemia at 20 years old. Suddenly her only shot at surviving became a blood stem cell transplant.

With no suitable matches in her family, she turned to NMDP and the NMDP Registry^SM. Would she find a match—a selfless stranger—to help her finally conquer cancer?

To her luck, Hillary matched with several potential donors—but only one was willing, and physically able, to say “yes” to donating. That donor was a young father named Rob, and he gladly stepped up to save her life.

“He took time out of his day for a stranger. It meant literally everything to me,” Hillary said. “If he hadn’t been there, answering the call … I wouldn’t be here.”

Hillary knows that not every patient finds a suitable match for transplant—and not every match follows through with donation if called upon.

She’s since become a passionate advocate for NMDP and for donors. She’s been working alongside us as we fight for funding to recruit more young, healthy donors to the registry. She’s also been instrumental in securing a Senate champion, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, to sponsor the Lifesaving Leave Act. If passed by Congress, it would allow blood stem cell donors to take up to 40 hours of nonconsecutive, unpaid leave from work—without risk of losing their job.

“Because of all the privilege I have, I can advocate. I can give back in every way I can. I can be a voice for those who can’t advocate right now,” said Hillary. “You never know when you are going to be the one on the other side.”

You can be a voice for patients and donors, too, by joining our growing grassroots network of NMDP advocates.

Hillary was just a freshman in high school when she first got diagnosed with leukemia. Unfortunately, it came back when she was 18—and then again when she turned 20.

During her third round of cancer she was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)—an aggressive form of blood cancer that grows rapidly and can be fatal within months if not treated.

A blood stem cell transplant can treat or cure ALL—but first a patient must find a matching donor. Like many patients, Hillary had her family tested first—but also like many patients, she didn’t have a matching, available donor.

Learn how donors and patients are matched

Her care team turned to NMDP and the NMDP Registry for hope. The good news? They found not just one, but three matches, for Hillary. The bad news? Two of them were not able, or willing, to proceed with donation. Suddenly her only hope was in the hands of a single stranger who had joined the registry. Would they be willing to step up and follow through?

Thankfully, the answer was “yes.” Rob, a young dad whose own father had died of kidney cancer, donated his healthy blood stem cells and saved Hillary’s life. She’s been in remission for more than 10 years.

The two of them exchanged letters and small gifts that first year after transplant, planting the seeds of a special bond that has now grown over the years. They’ve learned they have a lot in common: both have strong ties to the military (Rob had served in the U.S. Navy; her husband, John, is a Marine Corps veteran). They also look alike—and even share the same wedding anniversary (Feb. 13). Talk about coincidences!

Hillary says she’s forever grateful to Rob for the second chance he’s now given her. Since transplant she’s been able to graduate college, earn her doctorate and rekindle a lost friendship and crush—which has now blossomed into a beautiful marriage.

To pay it back and help others find a life-saving match, Hillary has since become an important advocate for NMDP and a voice for donors. She’s been working alongside us and with legislators to secure funding to grow the registry and remove one of the biggest reasons donors say no to donating: fear of losing their job due to the time commitment. (About half of those who are called upon ultimately say “no” to donating.)

She’s played a critical role in helping us push to pass the Life Saving Leave Act, talking with both Senators and Congress members. The bill, if passed, would grant donors up to 40 hours of nonconsecutive, unpaid leave from work—with their job guaranteed by their employer when donation is over.

That nonconsecutive part is important, because the journey through blood stem cell donation can be scattered across several weeks or months—instead of consolidated into a single week. Many young adults are just launching their careers—and lack legal job protection. National donor leave legislation would remove a key barrier to donation for young donors, allowing more of them to say “yes” with confidence, and quickly—ultimately saving more lives.

Hillary often shares her advocacy work on social media to bring awareness and mobilize more support:

“Take two minutes to let your lawmakers know that continued funding for the donor registry and protected leave for those donors to be able to say “yes” when matched with a patient is important to you!”

You can spread hope and save lives by speaking up, just like Hillary. Join our growing grassroots network to protect access to transplant and remove barriers to treatment so every patient can receive the life-saving treatment they need.