Medical Stories
Breaking Barriers
S6 • E4 Jun 2, 2024
Walter, a 70-year-old Tampa resident, has battled acute myeloid leukemia (AML) since 2014. Things appeared to get worse when an initial attempt at chemotherapy failed to prevent the disease from returning. But as we learn in this episode of Medical Stories, Walter's outlook changes when a donor gives him the opportunity to undergo a transplant procedure - and Walter gains a "new family member" in the process. From Tampa, Medical Stories journeys to Lubbock, Texas, where mother Denay is raising her child, Hannah, with Rett syndrome. It's a developmental disorder that mostly affects young girls as toddlers, according to the Rett Syndrome Research Trust. Since she first started showing signs of Rett syndrome 10 years ago, Hannah, now 11, has lost much of her ability to speak and move on her own. But despite these obstacles, Denay and her family tell Medical Stories that their connection with Hannah has only grown stronger as they work together to give her a brighter future. Breaking Barriers also features in-depth commentary from renowned experts David A. Sallman, MD, Myeloid Section Head, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida; Eric Marsh, MD, PhD, Clinical Director, Orphan Disease Center, Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics; and Jeffrey Neul, MD, PhD, Director, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center.
