Sometimes in case management all you need to do is listen. It is cathartic for the person telling the story, and if you listen it may just touch your heart.
It was February 14, 2008. I received a call from the father of my patient Drew Weiland at 9 a.m. He called to tell me Drew had died the evening before in the hospital at about 6 p.m. I gasped! You are never prepared to hear those words, especially about a 24-year-old. I spoke with him many times before. He thanked me for the case management services. He told me he had a story he wanted to tell me that he had never gotten a chance to speak to me about and was adamant I listen.
He told me that about six months after Drew’s first MUD allogeneic stem cell transplant in April 2006 they were able to find out who his donor was. He said he was a U.S. Navy pilot. He had joined the national bone marrow registry while in college. He never dreamed while fighting in the Northern Persian Gulf 7,000 miles away he would be the right donor and Drew’s greatest hope for battling AML. He said that the Navy was really gracious with me — stopping his training and flying him to Washington, D.C., for the donation. Drew got the chance to meet him at a ceremony at the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes Jewish Hospital in October 2007 at a ceremony where 400 bone marrow recipients and family members were honored. Lt. John Hiltz got to meet Drew Weiland in person that evening. They became friends, and his father spoke to John often as well. He said Drew fought his disease with courage, strength and determination. His father said Drew always volunteered for clinical trials and studies. He said any chance that he could help someone struggling with leukemia was worth it to him. He stayed in touch with John and actually received 3 DLI’s. A year from his last DLI he relapsed with 70 percent blast.
With his second relapse I received a request for a second MUD allogeneic stem cell transplant in January 2008 from a second donor. While Drew was receiving salvage chemotherapy and recovering from pneumonia, he was hospitalized and often spoke with the clergymen at the hospital. His Dad said one particular Lutheran minister visited him often and he told his Dad he greatly valued their relationship. Drew entered the hospital again on 1/23/08 and received his second MUD allogeneic SCT on 1/29/08. His Dad said both parents and this Lutheran Minister were in his room with Drew when he died. He said he got a call from the Navy pilot who told him he had an uncle who was a Lutheran Minister in St. Louis. He had told him about Drew and asked that he try to visit him and look out for him.
Drew’s Dad said I just know someone is still looking out for Drew. Between my tears I thanked him for telling me this story and try to use it as inspiration to others, whenever I can.
