Jocelyn McGlynn is embarking on a medical career, but she needs help to get there. And help could come from a family member or a stranger.
The 21-year-old Chatham woman, who is in her fourth year of the medical science program at Western University in London, has been diagnosed with Acute Myelomonocytic Leukemia.
While there are still some details to be confirmed in the next two to three weeks, Jocelyn’s mother Jacquelyn said the doctor is leaning towards a stem cell transplant to treat this type of leukemia.
Noting her daughter wrote her MCATs (Medical College Admission Test) this past summer to apply for medical school, McGlynn said she understands what’s happening better than the family. She said Jocelyn told her there were translocations in the chromosomes that suggest she needs a stem cell transplant.
Jocelyn McGlynn, 21, is keeping up her spirits after being diagnosed with Acute Myelomonocytic Leukemia. The Chatham woman, who is planning to attend medical school, needs a stem cell transplant. (Handout)
According to a Facebook post by the family, Jocelyn’s brothers Maxx and Zach are 25 per cent likely to have the DNA markers called Human Leukocyte Antigens that will benefit her.
“If they match we are in luck, but if not, a non-related donor will hopefully be found on an international registry,” states the post.
McGlynn said they want to take action now to find a suitable stem cell match, so the family is requesting people go to the Canadian Blood Services website – www.blood.ca – to register to be a stem cell donor.
She said family and friends are also working on organizing a swab clinic in Chatham to make it easier for people to register.
The McGlynns have done some research to allay fears some people may have about being a stem cell donor.
“Bone marrow transplant tends to scare people owing to the belief that is a painful procedure,” states the Facebook post. “The truth is that there have been advancements; they literally harvest stems cells from a healthy person and return the balance of the blood to the donor. There is no pain and it is just like giving blood; you get your blood right back minus the stem cells that will be transplanted.
“In some cases bone marrow is required and the donor would require a more sophisticated procedure.”
McGlynn said Jocelyn, who is at Victoria Hospital in London, is doing well.
“Her spirits are quite high, she’s typically Jocelyn,” she said, despite still suffering the side-effects of treatment, including nausea.
“She’s still Jocey, she still lights up the room and has her sense of humour.”
McGlynn said about two weeks ago Jocelyn came down with a cold and a sore throat, accompanied by having no energy and not feeling good.
Being a strep carrier, McGlynn said they initially thought that was the problem.
She added they were hoping some bedrest and care from mom would help her feel better soon.
“She just wasn’t kicking it, so we went back to the doctor two times and two strep tests were negative,” McGlynn said. “We called back and said, ‘This just isn’t her, she’s just not like this.’”
As a result, she said some bloods test were run on Jocelyn.
McGlynn said they received a call about 4:30 a.m. on Nov. 30 and not long after her boyfriend took her right to the hospital and the family was soon at her side.
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