The National Bone Marrow Transplant Link

01/29/2026

GVHD Day is observed each year on February 17, bringing the transplant
community together to raise awareness of graft-versus-host disease and
the importance of education, early recognition, and support.
This year’s GVHD Day campaign theme is Stronger Than GVHD, reflecting
the strength found in shared knowledge, ongoing research, early symptom
awareness, and a community committed to supporting people affected by
GVHD. No one should face GVHD without information or support.
As part of the GVHD Alliance community, nbmtLINK is proud to
stand alongside organizations across North America in a shared effort to
raise awareness and connect people with trusted GVHD resources.
Learn more about GVHD and explore available resources as we prepare for
GVHD Day on February 17.

https://www.gvhdalliance.org/resources/

Know someone who may be affected by GVHD? Share this post to help
others feel informed and supported.

01/29/2026

Come join us for our Writer's Workshop Series

Writing is a self-healing activity. This workshop will provide a safe space to express yourself. We will offer participants a prompt to write about, time to write and share if they choose, and time to receive only positive feedback on their writing. This activity will be led by Bradley Buchanan and facilitated by our licensed staff social worker, Jennifer Gillette. Spots are limited so please register within a couple weeks of the event.

Our dates for this year will be
February 25th
April 29th
June 24th
September 30th
November 11th

The times are
1:00-2:00pmEST
12-1pm CST
11am-12pm MST
10am-11amPST

You can register at https://pburkhard.wufoo.com/forms/z14s4mzx1kpw4vg/

01/28/2026

01/28/2026

To register, go to https://pburkhard.wufoo.com/forms/z1o6asj01iimr1k/

01/26/2026

A question from our recent Lunch & Learn with the LINK with Dr. Sandeep Jain on Ocular GVHD (recording is on our website at https://www.nbmtlink.org/ongoing-programs/lunch-learn/

Caller: What would Dr. Jain recommend for patients who have used the serum tears, commercial, and steroid products along with scleral lenses without success? My doctor has suggested possibly the amniotic membrane patches. Thank you for taking the call.

Dr. Sandeep Jain: So one of the things that you have to first see and optimize is serum tears is fine, but what is the concentration of serum tears that you're using? Traditionally, most people end up using 20% serum tears, which means that your blood, the serum that you collect is one part serum, five parts saline. And others use 50%, which means that you have 1:1. Why am I saying dilution is important is because the amount of growth factor, if you just look at epidermal growth factor, just bear with me, EGF, the amount in 100% serum is almost the same as in tears, in healthy tears. So that means that if you want to replace a drop, a drop of serum tear is going to replace the amount of that growth factor on the surface of the eye, then it has to be undiluted. So the first thing I would say is that you would need to think about 100% serum tears or PRGF, plasma rich in growth factor.

There's another issue that we are assuming that your serum is actually going to work, but maybe it doesn't or won't, because it may have lower levels of immunoglobulins and higher levels of cytokines. We don't know that. And we have checked the serum of many of our patients, and we found high levels of inflammatory material in their serum, cytokines, and low level of antibodies, such that if you put it on the eye, you're putting more inflammatory material on the eye. We can do tests to figure that out. So another approach is that you get a healthy relative, it doesn't have to be a relative as long as the blood group is matched, and then use serum tears 100% from a blood group matched person so that you are not inadvertently putting inflammatory material that exists in your blood or antibodies that may not be that high in your blood, or chemotherapy, or drugs that you have in your serum on the surface of the eye.

The second thing I already talked about, preservative-free, that everything has to be preservative-free. Steroids are fine, but then you need more help. And that's where tacrolimus eye drops, immunoglobulin eye drops come into play. They have to help along with steroids. Scleral lenses, doxycycline, and lubrication, along with systemic therapies and so on. But I think if we were to maximize and optimize the therapy the way I'm saying, there is still room for some improvement.

All information in our programs are meant to stimulate conversation with your healthcare provider and is not direct, individual medical advice.

01/25/2026

Love people that feed the hope...

“It was an emotional ride,” he said, as he recalled looking out the window at everything below. He remembered his parents crying as he lifted off the pad, his mom on the helicopter and his dad on the ground.
Read Webb's story, how he endured treatment for aplastic anemia to return to the soccer field, in his story here: https://www.aamds.org/patient-chronicles/webb-kosich

01/24/2026

🧠 Coping with the Battlefield of the Mind on a BMT Journey
1. Understanding the Mental Battlefield
A bone marrow transplant is as much a psychological and emotional challenge as it is a medical one. Survivors often describe it as a “battle of endurance—both in body and mind.”
Fear, isolation, and uncertainty are common, especially during long hospital stays or when post-transplant complications like GVHD arise.
According to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Distress Management Guidelines, cancer patients should be routinely screened for emotional distress, as it can impact recovery, adherence to treatment, and overall quality of life.
The American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT) emphasizes a mind-body approach—recognizing that mental health directly affects immune recovery and physical resilience.
“Your mind will try to convince you that you can’t.
Your spirit must whisper back: ‘I already am.’”
2. Common Mental Health Challenges After BMT
Emotional Challenge What It Feels Like Professional Insight
Anxiety Fear of relapse, infections, or symptoms returning Practice grounding techniques, mindfulness, or CBT-based coping to reduce rumination
Depression / Hopelessness Feeling like life is on hold or changed beyond recognition NCCN recommends early mental health referral and antidepressant therapy when appropriate
Identity Loss Feeling “different” from who you were before transplant Rebuilding identity is a gradual process; working with psycho-oncology or survivorship programs can help
Cognitive Fatigue (“Chemo Brain”) Difficulty focusing, remembering, or multitasking Use pacing, journaling, and cognitive exercises; occupational therapy can help retrain habits
3. Professional Coping Strategies
🩺 Evidence-Based Approaches:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Helps challenge catastrophic thoughts (“What if it comes back?”) and replace them with balanced perspectives.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR): Studies show it can reduce anxiety, fatigue, and insomnia in post-transplant survivors.
Support Groups: The Be The Match Patient Support Center and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) provide survivor and caregiver peer programs.
Physical Activity: Even light stretching or walking helps regulate mood and sleep, as supported by NCCN Survivorship Guidelines.
🧩 Practical Tips:
Set small, daily goals to restore a sense of purpose.
Journal about fears and progress—it helps “de-clutter” emotional overwhelm.
Allow yourself to grieve your old normal while still making room for new meaning.
4. Survivor Reflections
“During transplant, I fought the urge to quit every single day. But I realized I didn’t need to win every battle—just keep showing up.”
— BMT Survivor, Memorial Sloan Kettering
“I had to stop asking, ‘When will I be me again?’ and start saying, ‘This version of me is still worthy, still fighting.’”
— GVHD Survivor, Johns Hopkins
“The hardest part wasn’t the pain. It was silencing the fear that this would be my whole story. Turns out, it was just the hardest chapter.”
— Allogeneic Transplant Survivor, Stanford
5. Spiritual & Meaning-Based Coping
For many, faith, nature, or a sense of purpose becomes a stabilizing force.
Research on meaning-centered therapy (Memorial Sloan Kettering) shows improved emotional well-being when patients reconnect with values, relationships, and legacy.
Even small rituals—lighting a candle, prayer, listening to music—can help anchor the mind in hope.
“Healing doesn’t mean the damage never existed. It means it no longer controls your life.”
6. When to Seek Professional Help
Seek help if you experience:
Persistent sadness or anxiety lasting more than two weeks
Thoughts of self-harm or wishing you wouldn’t wake up
Inability to sleep, eat, or enjoy activities you once liked
Emotional withdrawal or hopelessness
Psychologists, social workers, and oncology therapists are trained to support these challenges. Many major transplant centers (like MSK, Mayo Clinic, and Dana-Farber) have psycho-oncology programs.
7. Closing Reflections: The Mind as a Healing Partner
Your mind is not your enemy—it’s a powerful ally learning how to survive what your body has endured.
Healing after BMT is a process of reclaiming mental strength one thought, one breath, one small victory at a time.
“The mind is a battlefield, yes. But it’s also the birthplace of resilience.”

01/22/2026

To listen to this season 19 episode,or any other of our Marrow Master podcasts, you can go to our website at https://www.nbmtlink.org/marrow-masters-podcast/