The gift of hope—and financial help

John spent 110 days in the hospital undergoing three chemotherapy regimens. While the first two failed to get him into remission, the third—a much harsher treatment—succeeded. His next step toward a cure: a bone marrow transplant.

While none of John's siblings were a suitable marrow donor match, four genetic matches were found for him on the NMDP Registry. And on Nov. 16, 2016, he received a bone marrow transplant.

John says his son, Max, was his inspiration throughout his transplant journey. Born in October 1998 with a cleft lip and palate, no lower jaw, and profoundly deaf, Max was given less than a 5% chance of survival. Over the next several years, he had a total of 34 surgeries. "Max just saw that as his life and he never let it get him down," John shares.

Experiencing firsthand the importance of hope, the Presley family was driven to deliver hope to other patients and their families. "Because of the inspiration my son has given me, the care and love my wife, Amy, has given me, and NMDP, I survived this time in my life," John says.

It's been over four years since John received a successful marrow transplant. Now he and his family are dedicating their time and resources to helping other patients receive the life-saving treatment they so desperately need. With a personal donation of $50,000, they established the John and Amy Presley Recovery Grant Fund, which provides patients and families tangible financial support as they navigate through their transplant journey.

"I've gotten to know NMDP a lot better since my transplant," John says. "Because of their work, I've gotten four more years with Amy, and I've been able to see Max finish high school and move on to college."

The Presleys' help couldn't have come at a better time. For many patient families, the economic impact of the pandemic has been nothing short of devastating as many are bearing the financial weight of the uninsured costs associated with transplants.

"Not everyone is as lucky as I am," John says. "I was stunned to find out so many people need transplants and can't get one."

Beyond their own financial support, John and Amy called on their personal network to raise an additional $115,000 for patient assistance. Amy also joined the NMDP Foundation Campaign Committee, a leadership group that will help the foundation reach the goal of raising $100 million by 2024.

"Because we've been so fortunate, we feel privileged to help NMDP work on initiatives that will make transplants more accessible," Amy says.

Without the philanthropic support of our life-saving community, the NMDP patient assistance program wouldn't be possible. Contact Amy Bigot at (763) 406-8725 | Toll Free: (800) 507-54271 or amy.bigot@nmdp.org to discuss the impact your gift can make.