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A little help from his friends

On Nov. 15, 2023, Galen Gatzke woke up with a new blood type and someone else's DNA.

September 12, 2024
Galen Gatzke and woman at camp in front of creek in the mountains.

The protocol for a blood cancer relapse is a stem cell transplant. It is a very invasive procedure involving hospital time and several risks. Gatzke initially tried to postpone the surgery indefinitely, but doctors told him the cancer was aggressive and he needed to have the procedure. Last November, he had the surgery at the Colorado Blood Cancer Institute in Denver and he has not had any complications. After the one-year anniversary of the surgery in November, he will be declared cancer-free.

Read the Aspen Daily News story. 

Learn more about the Colorado Blood Cancer Institute.

Published:
September 12, 2024

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