Bone Marrow Transplant for my sister Cindy O’Sullivan Watson

Less than a year ago, my sister Cindy (O’Sullivan) Watson was officially diagnosed with Stage 4 Lymphoma (Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma, Sezary Syndrome). Sezary Syndrome is a rare and aggressive type of CTCL that affects about one person in a million. A Bone Marrow Transplant is my sister’s only hope of survival.

About Cindy

My sister Cindy is an all around beautiful human being. She is a dedicated mother of three wonderful children (a son and twin daughters), a loving daughter, sister, aunt, friend, co-worker, teacher and a dog mom too. She is a smart, caring and kind person, has a wonderful sense of humor and is strong in her faith. Cindy loves being out in nature, gardening, enjoys physical exercise and is an animal lover. My sister has always been a role model and an inspiration for me. She has faced challenges in her life that have tested her before, but she has overcome them with strength and dignity. Professionally, she has spent her life helping others as a highly respected physical therapist, having published important clinical research. She had to give up her part-time clinical practice because of her illness. She continues to teach the next generation of physical therapists, the graduate students in the School of Physical Therapy at Anderson University in Greenville South Carolina, who she calls her “other” children.

Cindy supports herself financially, and her full time employment at the university provides her and her children with medical insurance and also enables her children to go to college at a reduced rate.

The Lymphoma and treatment journey

What started as a small rash a few years ago, quickly spread and now covers over 90% of her body. This kind of lymphoma is slow to identify itself and the symptoms were initially treated as a dermatological issue. Since 2023 she has suffered this unbearable itchy rash that never calms down, causing her skin to peel off, her hair to fall out, and her body to swell and turn deep red in color (erythroderma). Since July 2024 she has endured various treatments at Duke University Medical Center (chemotherapy, extracorporeal photophoresis ECP). Through it all, she still manages to face the world each day and has continued to work full time, not only to support her family, but also for the benefit of her students and to retain her medical insurance through her employer. She literally doesn’t get a break. This rare, progressive type of Lymphoma (sezary syndrome) is not curable. The disease will never go into remission. The treatments will only slow the disease, which has spread to her lymph nodes and which will eventually spread to her organs. The NIH Cancer Institute estimates the median survival rate of patients with sezary syndrome as four years, and Cindy has had the disease for over three years now.

Cindy’s Only Hope

My sister has one hope for survival — a Bone Marrow transplant. I hope to be a compatible match as a Bone Marrow donor. To undergo this procedure, Cindy will need to take an unpaid medical leave from work for several months while she lives in special recovery housing near the hospital, in isolation to protect her immune system.

Financial Hardship

Even with medical insurance coverage, the cost of treatments, deductibles, ER visits, and travel to Duke University in NC have been very high, not to mention the loss of part-time income from her clinical practice. People say she should stop working, but if she does, she loses medical insurance for herself and her children. The costs of this bone marrow transplant procedure and recovery process (including housing), combined with the loss of income while on unpaid medical leave will be significantly beyond her financial means.

It pains me to see my sister go through all of the physical, emotional and financial hardship caused by this disease. She has worked hard her whole life, so cost shouldn’t be a reason to give up hope on her chance to live. Please help my sister to have a chance to watch her kids grow up.

A Message from Cindy

“I have HOPE. God is good. Psalm 91 and Jeremiah 29:11 are my daily meditations. I have also been overwhelmingly blessed by so many of you already. Prayers, phone calls, visits, encouraging cards, hugs, thoughtful gifts, driving me to and from Durham NC, meals, flowers, yardwork and spiritual encouragement. All I can say is that along with my faith in God, your kindness keeps me going to face each physically uncomfortable day. I have so much more to do and see with my cherished family and friends. I would love to continue to share my passion for physical therapy with students for years to come…and yeah, I want to be a grandmother!