About Us

Humor helps and heals.

Marina shares her story:

I'm living proof. And I lived to laugh about it.
I had a plan. My 40’s were going to be wonderful – family, career, community, and comedy. But in 2007, at the age of 42, my life took a sudden, nearly fatal, detour. Seven years of bad health, second opinions, complications followed. Every specialist I met said, “You’re a very interesting case.”

Humor and Laughter Saved Me
Oh, I know that sounds dramatic. And yet it is true.
When going through a physically painful, intellectually challenging, and emotionally frightening experience, the ONLY thing that provides immediate relief is laughter.

You can't sneeze and keep your eyes open. And you can't laugh and feel pain at the same time. The laughter distracts the brain and provides momentary relief that can help you re-set.

Prayer and meditation can also provide relief, and I practice those as well. But a good chuckle and even better, a good belly laugh provides instant, physiological relief.

When I went through my donor blood stem cell transplant, I asked my friends and family to help me keep my laugh on. A dear friend from high school, Dave Goodman, re-appeared in my life to do just that! 

It turns out that Dave Goodman went from the classroom joker to become a professional comedian! (Kids, don't try this at home ~ only a very few all-star comedians in high school go on to join the pros!). So Dave sent me a joke or funny story each day for almost 3 months. THAT is dedication! And with my chemo-brain, each time I read them it was like a brand new funny!

The Medical Story
I was diagnosed with Polycythemia Vera (PV), a rare chronic leukemia that causes bone marrow to over-produce red blood cells. By 2013, my bone marrow was “spent,” and I developed myelofibrosis, a cancer that affects the blood-forming tissues in the body. I became transfusion-dependent, and the only hope for a cure was a bone marrow/blood stem cell transplant.  When no match was found in my family, my friends and family held “swab drives” to register potential donors. My “match” was a 22 year-old man from Germany.  On July 23, 2013, I received his stem cells at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia and began my long journey to recovery. 

Eighteen months later, I heard the wonderful word, “Remission.” I am now transitioning into a new normal. All the money, faith, science, and technology could not have saved me without more than 200 strangers whose blood products still keep me going while my body heals. My new life’s work is to pay it forward by raising awareness of bone marrow transplants, lending support to patients and caregivers, and being an advocate for more cure options.  I thank every blood, platelet, and marrow/stem cell registered donor.  I am humbled and grateful for their generosity. I still claim “chemo brain” when it suits me, but it could just be a sign that I made it to 50.  Yes, 50! 
​It’s going to be my best decade yet!