Her Story

In June of 2020 Becca Mullins was starting out to  live her best life.  She had recently graduated from nursing school and was at the start her career, being a registered nurse,  which she has wanted to do ever since she was in preschool.  Her and her boyfriend, Erich, were beginning a life together and had recently purchased their first home.  One month later, July 2020,  Becca had swelling and severe pain in her clavicle.  She decided to go to the emergency room and have it looked at.  It was the beginning of the COVID pandemic so she had to go by herself, which did not sit well with her mom and dad, but they had to do what they had to do.  After examining Becca, the hospital staff informed her they thought she had Leukemia and needed to be transferred to a hospital with a cancer ward for immediate treatment.

The next morning Becca was transferred to University Hospital Rainbows Babies and Children Hospital.  Even though she was a legal adult, due to her age, 22, and the cancer she had was considered a childhood cancer, this would be best treated at the child hospital.  Becca was diagnosed with B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).   To make it even worse, later it was determined the she had a mutation of the cancer cell DNA, which is called the Philadelphia Chromosome, that made it more resistant to chemotherapy.  The final diagnosis was Philadelphia Positive B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

This is where Becca and her mother, Michelle,  met Dr. Rachel Egler, MD.  and the wonderful nurses and staff of the 7th floor.  Becca and Michelle's home away from home for the long and arduous 2 year treatment.

After 2 years of arduous chemotherapy treatments, many many months of inpatient hospital admissions, several surgeries, multiple Pediatric Intensive Care Unit admissions, Becca finished her treatment cycle and got to ring the bell  signifying end of treatment.

4 days later Becca wasn't feeling quite right and had her labs drawn.  Unfortunately her cancer was back, or never left.    So back into the hospital she went and started to prepare for a bone marrow transplant.  Her mother, father and brother had their blood drawn to see if any were a match for the transplant.  A couple weeks later the word came down, her brother was a "PERFECT" match.

Her transplant doctor was busy researching new treatment options and came across a study being performed in Houston, Tx at the MD Anderson Hospital for cancer patients with the exact cancer Becca has.   After several conversations with her local doctor team and the doctor in Houston performing the study, Becca and the family decided to give the study protocol a try even though Becca was further along in cancer than the patients in Houston.

This new Immunotherapy is much more lenient on the patient than the standard chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant.   Becca is the first patient outside of Houston to use this treatment. After Becca finished the protocol, several bone marrow aspirations have been performed. Medically, as deep molecularly that can be tested, her bone marrow is completely clear of cancer.   She will have several more bone marrow aspirations and blood draws to continually check over the next few years.