Mary Robinson's blood type is now A+. The teacher of visually impaired students and mother of four also has male DNA. "I may have male DNA in my bone marrow, but I didn't grow a beard," she laughs. These two miracles are proof positive of her successful stem cell transplant. 

Mary's new book details her surviving cancer – twice. Seed, Stem, Bloom: Lessons From My Faith-led Journey Through CANcer charts her course through blessings and bumps alike. 

Writing updates to friends and family, Mary wasn't just telling them what was going on. "I was actually pouring out my soul," she says. "Those journal entries were me sharing my perspective on life." At the urging of her friends, Mary decided to turn those heartfelt expressions and experiences into a book. "I truly know that this book is going to help people. God has a purpose for me."

But before she could write it, she had to live it.

In 2014, Mary was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia at another Omaha hospital. Chemotherapy is the standard treatment, but there is a risk of relapse for some patients. Patients like Mary.

Two and a half years later, a routine checkup revealed that the cancer was back. "I felt fine," she says. "I couldn't believe it. I thought this can't be true."

Chemotherapy was no longer enough. The next treatment – an allogeneic stem cell transplant – would transfer her to a facility that could handle the complex care. Her doctor referred her to Nebraska Medicine oncologist and hematologist Vijaya Bhatt, MBBS, MS. The medical director of the Nebraska Medicine leukemia program, Dr. Bhatt specializes in stem cell transplants.

"Because allogeneic transplants are so complex, they require a lot of expertise – from cell processing to transplant physicians to certified nurses," explains Dr. Bhatt. "The treatment requires a big team of experts. We're the only facility in Nebraska that does allogeneic transplants." The Nebraska Medicine leukemia program has performed 6,000 stem cell transplants in the past 40 years.

"The first time I went to Nebraska Medicine, I had no idea what to expect. I was obviously really scared," Mary recalls. "But when I walked in, I thought, wow, this place is fun." Nurses and doctors and patients wore colorful leis, coconut bras, and grass skirts to celebrate a patient's last day of chemotherapy treatment. The group offered leis to Mary and her husband Tim, which were eagerly accepted.

Then she met Dr. Bhatt. "I could not believe he asked me to tell him about myself," Mary says. "He took the time to listen, and right away I knew I had the best doctor. Dr. Bhatt has been so amazing."

"Anyone can make an initial encounter meaningful, but not everyone has the personality to make it memorable," Mary would later write. "I'm pleased that my first impression of Nebraska Medicine on May 18, 2017, was remarkable."

For Mary's cancer treatment to succeed, they needed to find a donor. Mary's brother was not a full match, and her oldest son Brody was ruled out because of a mismatch between antibodies. 

If a patient doesn't have a matched relative, the team searches for an unrelated donor. "As soon as we have test results from the patient, our transplant team can start the search process," explains Dr. Bhatt. 

So Be the Match – an organization that manages a donor registry worldwide – widened the search nationwide. No luck. "Nobody was a good enough fit," says Mary. "I was getting really nervous."

Millions of donors are registered throughout the world. They finally found Stephan, a German man from a town of 450 people. "It was a miracle," says Mary. "There have been so many miracles throughout this whole journey."

The timing of transplants is carefully coordinated. When the patient needs the infusion, the stem cells arrive at the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center that same day. To get Mary's cancer in remission, she had several days of chemotherapy before the transplant.

Dr. Bhatt's team successfully performed the allogeneic stem cell transplant. Afterward, Mary had graft versus host disease on her arms. Which in one sense, showed that it worked. Dr. Bhatt prescribed immune suppressing medicine, which got it under control. 

Six months later, she was off all medications and declared in remission. 

"I've had so many wonderful things happen in my life," says Mary. "The people that I've met, support and love from friends and family, and what God has shown me. Cancer has truly been a blessing for me. It's mind boggling how it all works."

Mary was one of the first patients treated in the brand-new Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center when it opened in June 2017. The center was purpose-built from the ground up to care for cancer patients. She had a diverse team of experts – nutritionists, therapists, social workers, nurses and cancer specialists – rooting for her. 

"The Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center focuses on more than medicine to help you heal: the artwork, the resource center, massage therapists, the Chihuly Sanctuary," says Leukemia Case Manager Diane Hill-Polerecky, RN, MSN, BMTCN. "I've been doing this for 21 years. I've found that those things make a huge difference in people's recovery."

Nutrition Therapist Nikki Spurgeon, MS, RD, LMNT, still thinks of Mary often. "Mary is a special person in so many ways," says Spurgeon. "What I remember most about her journey was her positive outlook, even during the most difficult times. She was always so receptive to input from medical staff, even when it wasn't necessarily the easiest route that we were suggesting. I remember sitting with her while she had a feeding tube placed. I knew it was the last thing she wanted to go through, but she accepted it because she knew it would help her."

"Mary was always interested in how to help other people, which culminated in this book," says Hill-Polerecky. "Her goal was to bring that sense of positivity and strong spiritual support to others."

"In some places, you feel like just another patient or just another number. I never felt that way with Diane or Dr. Bhatt. I feel like they actually care," Mary says.

Dr. Bhatt was also pleased to be Mary's partner along the way. "Mary is always so cheerful and optimistic. Visiting with her brings a lot of smiles and it's so much fun to interact with her in the clinic. We're thrilled that she put her experiences in this inspirational book."