After a decade of treatments for leukemia, Steve found a second chance
Steve is a paid spokesperson for Bristol Myers Squibb.
When Steve should have been celebrating his first wedding anniversary with his wife, instead he received a life-altering leukemia diagnosis.
For the next 10 years, Steve exhausted different leukemia treatments. They all failed. With his options running out, Steve and his doctor decided it was time to try cell therapy.
As a retired Bristol Myers Squibb employee who spent 30 years supporting the company's IT systems, Steve didn't anticipate he would one day depend on the science he helped support.
Steve even had the opportunity to connect with the BMS team who made his treatment. In the lab, he saw the team's coordination, dedication and shared commitment to improving patient lives.
Watch Steve’s story to see how hope, perseverance and science came together when he needed them most.
On my first wedding anniversary, I'm sitting in the doctor's office with my wife by my side, and he told me, unfortunately, I now had leukemia.
It was a gut punch.
My name is Steve. I live in Yardley, Pennsylvania with my beautiful wife Michelle, her daughter Amanda, and her daughter's fiancée, Ed.
I was a volunteer paramedic in Yardley since I was 14 years old. That's pretty much defined who I am and what I do.
For over ten years, I went through five different treatment options. I was failing through treatments a little faster than we hoped.
At that point, really, there weren't many more options.
The last option that had been presented to me was a cell therapy option.
But my doctor, she looked at me and she said, we need to start right away.
I was hoping, like many of my other treatments, that it would do its job. It would buy me some time.
I was sitting on the couch.My wife was cooking dinner. There was a message in my portal and I logged into my portal to see the results and the key words in it, it said: it was working.
The message that I would give to other patients that are going through this journey is it's very daunting to have a disease where they say there's no cure.
You're going to have a lot of days in between that you may be questioning what's going to happen.
But I can honestly say and tell you with everything that's in my heart, that there is a bright future for us.
I'll be volunteering at my local fire department, advocating for patients like me, and preparing to celebrate my 15 year anniversary with my wife.
That's why We Won't Lose.
Because your story can help inspire another.
If you're successfully managing your condition, we'd love to hear about your experience. It could make a difference for someone else.
Beyond just relevant information about Bristol Myers Squibb's therapeutic areas and innovation, Our stories offer a window into the work our employees do every day for patients.
Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. As global citizens, we work sustainably and responsibly to create a positive impact in the communities where we live and work.