Community Corner

Pacifica Blood Cancer Survivor Credits Transplant for Saving His Life

Gus Zeiner found his matching marrow donor on the national Be The Match registry and received a life-saving transplant.

 

Pacifica resident Gus Zeiner, 40, was an active father of two young children when he was diagnosed with a life-threatening blood disorder in early 2012 called myelodysplastic syndrome.

“I didn’t know if I was just exhausted because I was sleep deprived or because there was something else going on,” he said. “I like to think that what got me to go to the doctor was that I am somewhat in tune with my body. I mountain bike frequently to keep my head screwed on straight. I noticed that I was wasn’t able to climb as quickly as I used to on a trail that I rode routinely.”

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So he went to his doctor who did a complete blood count. The results were not normal. He was anemic in a very unusual way.

“My red blood cells were too big, and there weren't enough of them,” said Zeiner, a molecular biologist who works as a research scientist at Agilent Laboratories in Santa Clara. “This started the process of elimination to ultimately get to my diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in April 2012.”

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His only chance at survival was a bone marrow transplant, the only known cure for most of the hematological malignancies.

“In my case there wasn't a choice,” he said. “The genetic lesion that was identified was not good news. The specific flavor of MDS that I have carries a poor prognosis as a consequence, and it does not respond to existing chemotherapies. We knew from the beginning that we had to go for the nuclear option.”

Shortly after diagnosis, both his employer and his wife's employer held a bone marrow registry drive, which were organized and run by Be The Match, which connects patients with their donor match for a life-saving marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant. Zeiner’s doctors initiated the search shortly after diagnosis and found two perfect human leukocyte antigen matches within months. He received a transplant on July 13, 2012.

“I think Be The Match does really great work … and it really does give people a second chance,” said Zeiner. “My donor is still anonymous for the requisite 1-year wait-period following my BMT. I named him ‘Tom Marrow’ to give him some personality.”

Zeiner will be at the San Jose Be The Match Walk+Run on Saturday, April 6, at Guadalupe Gardens in Guadalupe River Park to share his personal story and help raise awareness about the importance of marrow donation.

The event offers patients like Zeiner hope for a second chance at life. It also raises money to help add more potential marrow donors to the registry, cover the costs associated with transplantation, and fund research. This fundraising event (formerly known as Be The One Run) helps patients with blood cancers like leukemia find a marrow donor and receive a life-saving transplant.

“Most of us won’t have a marrow match in our family and Be The Match recruits and matches volunteer marrow donors with patients who need them,” said Zeiner.

Every year, more than 12,000 patients in the U.S. are diagnosed with blood cancers like leukemia for which a marrow transplant from an unrelated donor may be their best or only hope of a cure.

Since his transplant, Zeiner has struggled with some minor graft versus host disease and a few infections that are common to immuno-suppressed people.

All things considered, his recovery has been textbook, says Be The Match spokesperson David Martinson.

In January of 2013, Zeiner had a 6-month post-transplant bone marrow biopsy and appears to still be in remission. He is now working again part-time and riding the trails near his home in Pacifica on a regular basis.

“I have different priorities now,” he said. “I have a different way of looking at things that are important to me and my family.”

 

IF YOU GO

With a 5K, 1K and Tot Trot, the Walk+Run is perfect for the entire family and for people of all fitness levels. To register, fundraise, volunteer or support a runner or walker with a contribution, visit BeTheMatchWalkRun.org.

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