U A B C O M P R E H E N S I V E C A N C E R C E N T E R 9
survivor profile
ed—but that UAB could do it too, and that I
should go home and have it done there.”
Ms. McCord came to the UAB Bone
Marrow Transplant (BMT) unit in 2003 for
an autologous transplant, in which her own
stem cells were removed and then returned to
her body after treatment. She describes the
experience as “intense, but everyone there was
wonderful. I thank God for the doctors and
nurses in the BMT unit and what they do to
save people’s lives.”
A MIRACLE DRUG After her successful transplant, life
for Ms. McCord returned to normal. She
became involved in the cancer community,
volunteering in the Patient Resource Library
at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Having regained her passion for athletic
activities, she ran a half-marathon for the
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in 2008.
In 2009, life changed again, this time
beginning with a nagging, persistent cough.
When she’d become so sick that she was
unable to swallow, she returned to her doc-
tor once again. A two-week hospital stay and
extensive testing confirmed that the cancer
had returned.
The tumor’s location eliminated surgery
as an option. This brought Ms. McCord
back to the BMT unit at UAB for another
bone marrow transplant—but this time, they
would be unable to use her stem cells. She
would have to endure the often lengthy and
arduous process of finding a viable bone mar-
row donor.
Ms. McCord did have one other option,
however. Cancer Center senior scientist and
hematologist-oncologist Andres Forero,
M.D., was leading a clinical trial involving a
Hodgkin’s lymphoma drug known as SGN-
35. “The thought that there was something
very promising other than another bone mar-
row transplant was wonderful,” Ms. McCord
says. “It sounded like a miracle.”
Before committing to the trial, Ms.
McCord met with Sabrina Gilreath, another
of Dr. Forero’s patients with Hodgkin’s lym-
phoma who was participating in the trial
and the first patient in the United States to
receive SGN-35. Mrs. Gilreath talked with
Ms. McCord about the effects of the trial on
her cancer and on her life, and she encour-
aged Ms. McCord to participate if she met
the eligibility requirements.
Ms. McCord qualified, and the results
were immediate. “I had my first CAT scan
just a few weeks into treatment, and there
was already a 54-percent improvement,” she
says. “After three months, I was in complete
remission. UAB had saved my life—again.”
COUNTING HER BLESSINGS Today, Ms. McCord continues to return to
the Cancer Center every 12 weeks for follow-
up scans as part of the trial. She also receives
post-cancer care through the UAB Supportive
Care and Survivorship Clinic (see story on
page 7), under Cancer Center associate scien-
tist Elizabeth Kvale, M.D., to attend to her
personal and emotional health after her decade
of treatment. “She specializes in ‘leftover’
issues related to the treatment, rather than the
cancer itself,” Ms. McCord says. “It’s comfort
care for those who remain well and for those
like me who want to make the best possible
future with their ‘new normal’ condition.”
Ms. McCord’s “new normal” includes
gardening, traveling and quality time with
her husband of 10 years, Brian Shaw, whom
she credits with greatly helping her during
her cancer treatment. “Brian has the greatest
sense of humor, and he just takes everything
in stride,” she says. “I’m very blessed and for-
tunate to have ‘Saint Brian’ in my life.”
Ms. McCord plans to write a book about
her experience. “I want to write about this
life-changing journey—the people you meet,
the emotions and the change in perspective,”
she says. “The human body is miraculously
resilient, and we don’t even think about all
it does until we get sick and are focused on
recovery. It’s humbling to realize that.”
Ms. McCord considers it a blessing that
she was able to participate in the clinical trial
that saved her life. She’s quick to recommend
such studies to others. “I’d do it again in a
minute, because I know I might not be here
today if not for that trial,” she says.
She also credits cancer with bringing a
sense of patience and clarity to her life. “I’ve
become calm about things and learned that
fear is the enemy,” she says. “I’ve learned
how important it is to be there for people
when they need you, like so many were for
me when I was going through treatment. It’s
a gift to be able to spend time with people.
When I count my blessings, I think what a
gift it is to be alive.”
“THE HUMAN BODY IS MIRACULOUSLY RESILIENT,
AND WE DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT ALL IT DOES
UNTIL WE GET SICK.” – Mary Grace McCord