“If I had waited another six months, my story wouldn’t be the same.”
Katherine was born into a world shaped by loss. Her older sister, Gracie, was diagnosed with Fanconi anemia (FA) shortly after the family moved to the United States from the Dominican Republic, seeking better medical care. Despite their best efforts, Gracie’s transplant was unsuccessful, and her parents were left heartbroken by her passing.
When Katherine was born, her parents were told she did not carry the FA gene—a momentary sigh of relief. But their world was once again shaken when a lab error was revealed, and Katherine, too, was diagnosed with FA. From the start, she was a fighter, with parents who believed in giving her every possible chance at life.
Katherine’s journey hasn’t been easy. At just eight years old, she underwent a bone marrow transplant, a procedure that brought both hope and fear. The transplant was successful, though not without complications. But thanks to her unwavering spirit—and the donor community that helped make this treatment possible—Katherine survived.
And yet, as with so many people living with FA, the fear of cancer loomed large.
The Life-Saving Moment: Cancer Caught Just in Time
As Katherine grew older, she became determined to make the most of her life, excelling academically and dedicating herself to becoming a pediatric hematologist-oncologist to help children like her. But amidst her studies and advocacy work, something was wrong. Katherine started experiencing intense pain in her chest, a symptom that persisted despite numerous tests by her doctors, who told her everything was normal.
Frustrated but undeterred, Katherine continued to advocate for her own health. She enrolled in the FCF-funded cancer screening trial at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—a program supported by generous donors like you. There, in a moment that would change everything, her cancer was detected.
Thanks to early detection and quick intervention, Katherine’s cancer was caught and treated. She endured the grueling process of cancer treatment with the same resilience she’s shown throughout her life. But this time, she had something that made all the difference: hope.
The cancer screening trial that identified her cancer was made possible by donors who believe in the power of early detection and cutting-edge research, and by the dedicated researchers who work every day to save lives.
We Must Do More: Protecting People Like Katherine
While Katherine’s story is one of triumph, it also reveals the urgency of our mission. People with FA are 500-1000 times more likely to develop cancer than the general population. And without continued support for early detection programs like the one that saved Katherine, many will face cancer that is detected too late.
That’s why we’re pioneering the first-ever data platform for FA, developing cancer model systems for cutting-edge translational research, and advancing the groundwork for an FA cancer prevention trial. With your support, we can deepen our understanding of FA cancers and work towards a future where these cancers never develop in the first place.
We’re also investing in gene editing, a groundbreaking approach that targets and fixes the very gene mutations responsible for FA and the cancers that follow. This research has the potential to not only transform the lives of people like Katherine but also revolutionize how we approach cancer for millions of people.
Gifts Are Life-Saving
Katherine is alive today because of the FCF village—a dedicated community that includes people with FA, families, researchers, clinicians, advocates, caregivers, staff and volunteers. Her story of survival and resilience is just one example of the life-changing work that donor gifts make possible. But we cannot stop here. With continued generosity, we can not only save lives but also prevent the tragedy of cancer before it ever begins.
