Debbie Humphrey

When Debbie Humphrey got sick in September 2018, it was not clear why. She had just had a physical, so she felt like she was in fairly good health, but her flu-like symptoms wouldn’t seem to go away. When she became lethargic, her husband knew it must be something serious and took her to the emergency room.

When Debbie arrived at the emergency room, her provider noticed an issue with her hemoglobin levels. She was sent to the hospital, where a lymph node biopsy was performed. Five weeks later, Debbie was faced with a rare diagnosis: Angioimmunoblastic T-cell Lymphoma.

“It was so unreal to me,” Debbie said. “The diagnosis of cancer knocks you right square in the face.”

Though the diagnosis was shocking, Debbie was prepared to rally, with her entire family by her side. She had a fight in front of her, and she knew she had to win.

Debbie began a very intense treatment plan, including chemotherapy, blood transfusions and plasma transfusions. Her treatment exhausted her for months, until the point that she was told she was not a candidate for bone marrow transplant and would need to resort to palliative care.

That is when Debbie requested a second opinion: she wasn’t done fighting. Debbie was referred to UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center and Mohamed Hegazi, M.D., who gave her hope for her future. It turned out that palliative care was not Debbie’s only option.

Dr. Hegazi, who works with the Blood Cancers, Cellular Therapy and Transplant Program, suggested a newly-FDA-approved chemotherapy that he had studied through his clinical research. In order for it to work, though, Dr. Hegazi told Debbie that she had to muster up all the strength she had left, both physically and mentally.

Though Debbie’s prior treatments had wiped out her strength, she knew she had to put in immense amounts of effort. She was on oxygen and used a wheelchair, reserving the rest of her strength for treatment.

No matter the outcome, Debbie knew she was being well taken care of by everyone, from the receptionist to her oncologist. Debbie could feel how much her whole care team really cared about her. They didn’t just tell her they cared; they showed her they cared. Every time she went to the Brown Cancer Center, everybody walking by made sure she had water, a treat and a warm blanket. Her favorite days were the days when she was able to pet the therapy dog.

Five months later, Debbie was in remission!
Debbie had gone from being told she needed palliative care and that she was not a candidate for a bone marrow transplant, to being in remission from cancer, thanks to the second opinion she got from UofL Health and Dr. Hegazi’s clinical research.

“I had the faith in them, and they had the faith in their research.”

After her miraculous recovery, Debbie received a bone marrow transplant that was unique in itself. Her brother, George, was a perfect match, something that only has a 20% chance of happening. George is also one of the oldest bone marrow donors through UofL Health – donating bone marrow at age 69, while the age limit through the national registry is 60 years old.

This journey, though it was difficult, allowed Debbie’s family to grow even closer. Her husband quit his job for two years to care for her. Her 11 grandchildren, four great grandchildren and three daughters enjoyed spending extra time with Debbie.

Now, she and her husband are travelling to spend quality time together. Debbie is even able to ride rollercoasters with her grandson and his friends at King’s Island.

Thanks to having more time to spend living her life, Debbie has been able to check a lot off her bucket list that she didn’t think she would be around to accomplish. She has been ziplining and gone on many hikes. Through it all, she is making sure to live her best life with confidence, now that she knows just how strong she is.

“I am healthier, I am active, and I smile as much as I can smile because I am here,” Debbie said.

Debbie encourages anyone with a cancer diagnosis to ask questions and get a second opinion. After all, asking questions and getting a second opinion saved her life.