Juanita Auck:

Donor Reaches Around The World To Save Her Life

Juanita Auck of Bucyrus, Ohio, is alive today because of the remarkable dedication and unconditional giving of a very special woman from Germany who saved her life not once, but three times!

Juanita was diagnosed with leukemia and needed a volunteer donor for her life-saving marrow transplant. She received her transplant in August 1996 after a search of the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry revealed a donor from Germany was her best match. Complications ensued and Juanita's doctor decided that she would need a second transplant. Monika Schwaisbach, her donor, was approached and agreed to donate a second time, two months after the first procedure. Following her second transplant, Juanita's leukemia returned. Monika was approached for yet a third donation, and once again the kind, caring and generous donor rose to the occasion. The third transplant took place in April 1998.

Today, thanks to Monika, Juanita is in excellent health. The two women met for the first time at the 1998 NMDP Annual Council Meeting in Minneapolis. "I was very excited to finally be able to meet her. My life was hanging in the balance and she did everything she could so that I can be well. She came through for me again and again. I just wanted to say 'thank you,'" Juanita said. "I can now go places and do the things that I like to do but couldn't when I was ill," Juanita said. Multiple marrow donations such as Monika's, especially to the same recipient, are extremely rare.