Vol. 34, No. 5, 20. My Perspective.

• Author: by Rebecca A. Lewis

Wyoming Bar Journal

2011.

Vol. 34, No. 5, 20.

My Perspective

Wyoming LawyerIssue: October, 2011My Perspectiveby Rebecca A. Lewis''Because I'm alive."

In early 1997, I was doing what I had been doing for nearly 20 years: drafting pleadings, taking depositions, working with expert witnesses, going to hearings, trying cases, and generally being a civil litigator. But then, my world came crashing down. After seeing doctors in Laramie, Ft. Collins, Denver and finally Seattle, I was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, which is a blood cancer. All three lines of blood cells, reds, white, and platelets, were not developing properly. Without treatment, I would die within a very short time.

In August 1997, I had a bone marrow transplant from an unrelated and unknown donor, facilitated through the National Marrow Donor Program. The NMDP is a registry for persons who are willing to donate stem cells to patients in need of a bone marrow or stem cell transplant. I had chemotherapy that killed every bone marrow cell in my body. All of my hair fell out, my muscles atrophied, my mouth developed numerous sores, and I generally felt pretty crummy for months. Nonetheless, the process went remarkably well, and needless to say, I am still alive 14 years later.

A couple years later, I was selected to be on the Patient Services Committee of the NMDP, which was an advisory group in regard to patient issues. It was made up of patients who had had transplants, patients searching for a donor, and family members of patients. The committee met several times a year. From there, I was elected in 2001 to the Board of Directors of the NMDP and, as a result, served on as many as five committees of that Board, attending conference calls and meetings. No, there is no compensation for doing any of this, although expenses are reimbursed.

I am now Chair of the Board of Directors of the NMDP, serving a two-year term starting in January 2011. It is a huge time commitment as I work with the management team, committees, advisory groups, and task forces. I travel frequently to meetings and spend hours on conference calls. I periodically...