GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — At just 18 years old, Lilly VandenBosch has already faced a lifetime of challenges. Diagnosed with aplastic anemia, a rare blood disorder, at the age of 7, her journey has been marked by countless hospital visits, treatments and uncertainties.
Despite the unsettling experience as a child, it inspired her to help others going through similar situations.
She recently began her freshman year at Davenport University, working towards becoming a nurse practitioner at the very hospital where she received life-changing care.
Aplastic anemia is a rare blood disorder.
It can happen when the body stops producing enough new blood cells, leaving patients fatigued and prone to infections and uncontrolled bleeding.
Lilly was just 7 years old when she began to experience some of the bizarre symptoms. She was having bloody noses that wouldn't stop and getting unexplained bruises and marks all over her body.
According to the Mayo Clinic, aplastic anemia can develop at any age and can present with symptoms that range drastically in severity.
Treatment options include medications, blood transfusions, or a bone marrow transplant.
Initially, doctors thought Lilly might have leukemia. After months of testing, she was diagnosed with aplastic anemia.
Her treatment would take years, with countless hospital visits and a bone marrow transplant.
"I was really young at the time, so I wasn't really sure what that all meant. I just knew that it wasn't good," Lilly recalls.
Her mother, Meg, remembers the fear and uncertainty of those early days.
"I'd have to go into the bathroom and cry because it was scary,” she explained. “I mean, we didn't know. It was really touch and go."
As Lilly became more aware of her condition, she began to ask questions and take an active role in her recovery.
She wanted to know everything about her treatment and how the medications she was taking were affecting her body.
That curiosity and personal passion would eventually lead her to pursue a career in healthcare.
One of her doctors, Dr. Uli Duffner, section chief of Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplants at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, is amazed to see how far the now 18-year-old has come.
“It's even weird for me to talk about it, because it seems like another lifetime ago,” Lilly told FOX 17. “It seems like I'm looking into someone else's memories. It doesn't seem like it actually happened to me.”
Now in remission, Lilly embraces the daunting childhood experience and hopes to bring her health journey full circle.
After her time at Davenport University, she hopes to work at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.
She is excited to reunite with some of the familiar faces who cared for her during her darkest days, this time as a colleague.
"If I hadn't gone through what I had gone through, I wouldn't know what I wanted to do with my life," Lilly explained.
As for her future career, she says, “It might be a little bit challenging at first, but I think that it will really turn into fuel for me to really help them in the best way that I can."
Lilly encourages everyone to consider signing up as bone marrow donors.
Growing the donor list with a diverse range of genetic backgrounds is vital for patients.
This diversity increases the likelihood that patients from various ethnic and racial backgrounds will find compatible donors.
You can visit the National Marrow Donor Program’s web site HEREfor more information on how to become a potential donor.
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