HAPPY FAMILY! Bente (center) with husband Warren (right) and son Odin, holding phone with sister, Ardra, who are living life again thanks to a kind German soccer player. Photos courtesy of family.
It is being called the miracle on Sixth Street.
An ecstatic Warren Fisher, with wife Bente Skau, and their son Odin, and daughter Ardra, are enjoying life again and say their prayers have been answered after mom Bente was given weeks to live due to cancer; more than five years ago.
Bente, 55, of Sixth Street, is alive and well today after being diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow, and given about six weeks to live.
“She came upstairs, crawled back into bed with me and told me,” Fisher recalled. “We were numb; frozen with disbelief. We just cried.”
NEW TORONTO’s Bente receiving treatment after a match with German soccer player, Max.
The lives of the New Toronto family changed after a search was launched by
Doctors Schimmer, Lewtinsky, Loach and Thiyaguof of Princess Margaret Cancer Center, who placed her case on a worldwide database seeking possible donor matches.
They received a call weeks later from a hospital in Germany which had found a possible donor, Max Ernst, a 24-year-old semi-professional soccer player from the team FSV Bad Wunnenberg – Leiberg. whose entire squad had volunteered for the registry.
Bente was hospitalized at Princess Margaret Cancer Center for more than a month for tests.
“I want people to get on the stem cell registry. It saved my life, and it meant so much to my family and friends. Just do it! It’s a powerful way to express your humanity,” she urged.
Their daughter at the time was attending her first year of post-secondary school and son entering ninth grade, Fisher said.
He said Bente was just weeks from death when she received a stem cell transplant from the unknown donor in Germany that saved her life.
“After three horrible bouts of chemotherapy and radiation, she was given the opportunity of increasing her odds of living to 32% by receiving a stem cell/bone marrow transplant,” he said.
THE FAMILY can’t wait until June to hug and thank Max for saving Bente’s life after doctors gave her weeks to live.
She received his cells after a grueling and lengthy preparation procedure (for her), and beat the odds to go on to a complete cure.
“She can now watch our children grow into adulthood, continue in her job helping others as a mental health professional and carry on as the best life partner ever,” said Fisher.
In June, Max will be travelling to South Etobicoke with his mother and girlfriend, to meet Bente and her family. The family will be showing them their appreciation and love.
“We’re very excited to finally meet him in person, throw our arms around him, and tell him how much he did for us,” Fisher vowed. “Two weeks after he signed with his team for the donor registry he was told someone desperately needed his stem cells.”
The family is urging residents, especially males under the age of 35, and members of ethnic minorities, to get on the stem cells donor registry.
It is easy and only takes a cheek swab. Visit blood.ca for more information.