Seeking second chance at life - Leukemia patient
needs bone marrow donor for transplant
Mary Ann Collins has rarely been ill. A fitness
instructor, she has eaten properly and exercised
vigorously.
Now, the mother of two is in a fight for her
life.
In February 2005, she was diagnosed with acute
myeloid leukemia. Though chemotherapy and other
medications sent the disease into remission,
it's now returning like a troublesome weed.
A bone marrow transplant is her best bet for
survival.
On Thursday, there will be a bone marrow drive
from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the John B. Amos Cancer
Center at 1831 Fifth Ave. in Columbus.
"We're looking for people to sign up for
the national bone marrow donor program,"
Collins said. "It's not just for me but
for a lot of people who might be saved by finding
a proper match."
Collins has two sons: Alec, 19, who attends
Columbus Tech, and Jackson, 17, at Hardaway
High. She has three siblings living in Georgia.
There have been no related matches.
Anyone from age 18 to 60 in generally good
health is eligible to be tested.
"There's no taking of blood, just some
swabs in the mouth with a Q-tip," Collins
said.
Each person who comes will view a short video
about the program that explains what is requested
of a donor. The cost for the test, which will
be done at the site, is usually $50 or more.
On Thursday, they will be free. About $27,000
has been raised to cover many of the former
teacher's expenses.
"I sent an e-mail to John Hogan, the CEO
of the company I work for, Clear Channel Radio,
and explained the situation," said her
fiance Wayne Bishop. That same day, Hogan donated
$10,000.
Collins is a lifelong resident of Columbus.
Her late father, Nick Haick, was retired military
and managed the now defunct Harmony Club. She
graduated from Kendrick High and Columbus State
University.
She has been serving as the manager of Hughston
Health Wellness Fitness Facility at the Hughston
Clinic.
It was at the clinic that she first felt the
need to get checked by medical personnel. Collins
was feeling particularly tired one afternoon
in February 2005 after leading more than two
hours of aerobics classes. That wasn't the only
reason that she went to get blood work done
later that day.
"The glands in the back of my neck were
swollen. I noticed some swelling in the joints
of my fingers, too. Also, I started bruising
for no reason."
The next day, her boss, Bill Etchison called
her into his office. He didn't have to say much.
"I looked at the blood test results myself
and right away I knew it was leukemia,"
she said. "Bill told me to go home."
It wasn't long before she was checking into
St. Francis Hospital.
"My white blood cell count was 80,000,"
she said, "instead of the 4,000-11,000
which is normal."
"Really," added Bishop, "she
should have been dead."
The journey
Ninety-three percent of her white blood cells
were lymphoblasts -- immature white blood cells
which normally make up 5 percent of the cells
made by the bone marrow. They are abnormal and
if there are too many, they begin to crowd out
the normal blood cells that develop there.
Collins has been a patient twice at St. Francis.
The first time she stayed 24 days. High doses
of chemotherapy made her hair fall out and burned
her esophagus. She could not have visitors because
the therapy reduced the white blood cells to
very low levels; white blood cells fight infection.
Currently, she is still suffering from a low
white blood cell count.
"I was treated very well at St. Francis
and have gotten a lot of support from everybody,"
she said.
"It's tough on everyone in the family,"
said Bishop, whose son Robert and daughter-in-law
Stacy are very close to Collins.
Collins said she feels that being in good physical
shape before the illness has made the battle
a little easier.
Both she and Bishop were philosophical about
the illness and need for people to help.
"God's gift to you is life," Bishop
said. "What you do with life is your gift
to God."
Collins said, "What we do for ourselves
dies with us. What we do for others lives on
forever."
