Aleyah’s story: Overcoming stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Aleyah Garnett of Atlanta was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in September 2017.
Over the next year, she endured several long rounds of high-dose chemotherapy under the care of her oncologist, Dr. Jayanthi Srinivasiah, known as Dr. Jay.
Unfortunately, the treatment was unsuccessful, prompting Aleyah’s referral to Dr. Lawrence Morris and his team at the Northside Hospital Cancer Institute Blood and Marrow Transplant Program for a stem cell transplant.
Northside has one of the largest and most comprehensive transplant programs in the Southeast U.S. and among the best survival rates in the nation for bone marrow transplants.
In 2019, Aleyah underwent an autologous stem cell transplant at Northside. While she continued high-dose chemotherapy, Aleyah’s own stem cells were harvested, frozen and later reinfused into her body.
Once again, treatment didn’t work and Aleyah’s cancer returned.
"I started to feel discouraged and scared of the unknown," said Aleyah. However, the unwavering support and reassurance from Dr. Morris and his team provided her with a renewed sense of hope.
“The Northside BMT team weren’t going to give up on me and I shouldn’t give up on myself!"
By 2020, Aleyah was given the option of an allogeneic transplant, where she would receive stem cells from another person, either a matched related or unrelated donor.
According to NMDP, a patient’s likelihood of finding a matching donor is estimated to range from 29-79%, depending on ethnic background.
Fortunately for Aleyah, her mother was a haploidentical (half) match.
With Northside’s expertise in haploidentical allogeneic transplants, Aleyah felt confident she was in the best possible hands. Her mother’s stem cells were collected and frozen, while Aleyah once again underwent chemotherapy and radiation to prepare her for the transplant.
Aleyah continued her follow-up appointments with Dr. Morris and his dedicated team post-transplant. Gradually, her condition began to improve, and it seemed she was finally on the path to recovery.
"At each appointment, everything started to look great ... I was so thankful I didn’t have to be in the hospital for very long periods," Aleyah said, which allowed her to maintain a semblance of normalcy in her life.
"I’m so thankful for Dr. Jay, Dr. Morris and his medical team at Northside Hospital. I felt genuine concern and empathy from the doctors and nurses. No one made me feel silly about any question I had, and they were all thoughtfully answered."
Aleyah believes this compassionate care played a significant role in her recovery process.
As of March 2024, Aleyah is three years cancer-free.
The steadfast support from her family, extended family and close friends has been instrumental in helping her regain the life she knew before her cancer diagnosis.
Reflecting on her journey, she often shares a guiding principle that helped her persevere: "Let God do His work, and it’ll work."