In 2017, my beloved wife and our family matriarch Marcia underwent a bone marrow transplant for leukemia. The transplant was successful, and she became cancer-free. Sadly, less than a year later, the cure took her life as she succumbed to the effects of Graft versus Host Disease (GVHD). GVHD occurs after a bone marrow or stem cell transplant when the donated cells (the graft) attack the patient’s normal cells (the host). It is a serious and potentially life-threatening problem that impacts up to 50 percent of patients who undergo transplantation.
Despite her multiple recurrences of cancer, Marcia did not just think of herself but of other family and friends and wanted to see the suffering from cancer end. For this reason, Marcia and I established the Brown Family Cancer Research Fund to provide philanthropic support for research at Karmanos and help future cancer patients. Our family continues to support Karmanos and their research efforts – giving hope to current and future cancer patients. Thank you for joining us by making a gift to the Brown Family Cancer Research Fund at the Karmanos Cancer Institute.
With deepest gratitude,
Larry Brown