City of Hope Atlanta's First Autologous Transplant Patient Anniversary

One year ago, on April 10, 2024, James Williams came to City of Hope® Atlanta for his bone marrow transplant (BMT) - the first autologous transplant procedure in Atlanta's then-newly-launched Blood Cancer Center. It was not Williams' first time navigating cancer, but it was the first time he had City of Hope alongside him for the journey. With the expertise of hematologist and oncologist Sabarish Ayyappan, M.D., and the compassionate care from his care team and everyone in the BMT unit, Williams not only had a successful transplant and treatment experience, but was also deeply touched by the personal bonds he developed with everyone at City of Hope.

Williams returned to City of Hope Atlanta one year later on April 10, 2025, for a follow-up visit ... and was surprised to find a party awaiting him! In recognition of his one-year anniversary since the procedure, often seen as a "rebirthday" for a patient's life post-transplant, the BMT unit and many others from City of Hope celebrated Williams' progress and gifted him his own celebration bell to mark the occasion.

For City of Hope Atlanta, this also marks a special milestone of the first transplant anniversary celebrated with the Blood Cancer Center. Since Williams' transplant, the center has successfully performed even more lifesaving BMT procedures, as well as CAR T cell therapies. The team has grown and the program is expanding: under the guidance of Leslie Popplewell, M.D., and Dr. Ayyappan, they are working on filing for FACT accreditation, and expect to begin performing allogeneic BMT procedures in 2026.

City of Hope Atlanta looks forward to even more patient celebrations this year and beyond as we pursue our mission to make hope a reality for all impacted by cancer and diabetes.