Brandy Stephens
“”My brother, who was my donor, is my hero – his selflessness gave me a second chance at life.” – Brandy Stephens”
Before Brandy Stephens was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), she recalls being told that, at 27, she was too young for it to be anything serious. “The news hit me like a ton of bricks,” she says, noting that she went from being considered healthy and athletic to wondering if she would get to see her then 18-month-old daughter grow up. “I was sort of in a daze really. At that time, I needed to hear that I had support and that I wasn’t in this fight alone.”
Brandy faced a difficult road through treatment, with numerous setbacks along the way: “Cancer changed every part of my life. There were moments of fear and uncertainty, but I focused on fighting for my future and being there for my daughter when I got through it.” It was being unable to be near her daughter due to her immune status that was the hardest, but Brandy’s husband and family supported her immensely: “Their support gave me strength when I didn’t have any left.”
Though it was described at the time as a “last-ditch effort” with little hope of success, Brandy’s journey took a major turn with a perfect sibling match for a stem cell transplant. “My brother, who was my donor, is my hero – his selflessness gave me a second chance at life,” she says. Her new normal was not without continued challenges, including learning to walk again after multiple surgeries and navigating Graft-versus-host disease. Brandy is now a survivor of over ten years – and “embracing every precious moment of life” with a new challenge. “Once I reached my tenth year of transplant survivorship, I felt it was time to turn my experience into a purpose,” Brandy says. She began studying Cancer Information Management with the goal of becoming a certified Oncology Data Specialist so that she can help improve cancer data collection and do her part to contribute to advancements in treatment. She looks forward to graduating in 2026.
Brandy’s advice to others is to advocate for themselves: “Your health is in your hands and if something feels off, ask more questions. It’s your right to understand your diagnosis, treatment options, and the path ahead.” Brandy leaves with the message: “strength isn’t just about physical endurance, but also about resilience, hope, and the willingness to keep going.”
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