Crystal G. — My Son Gave Me My Life

Crystal G. grew up in west Arvada near 69th and Ward. Her childhood home was there from 1978 through 2000. She attended St. Anne's, Oberon Junior High and Arvada West, and later earned her bachelor's degree from Metropolitan State. From 1996 through 2000, Crystal worked full time at Ground Exploration on Highway 72 between Indiana Street and Highway 93. In late 2022 and early 2023, she began feeling rundown, tired and dizzy and noticed changes including hair breakage and loss of strength. After laboratory testing and a bone marrow biopsy, she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia on April 19, 2023. Crystal underwent intensive chemotherapy, prolonged hospitalization, transfusions and additional outpatient treatment. Her son, Rocco, was a bone marrow donor match. She later underwent additional chemotherapy and full-body radiation before receiving the transplant on August 4. “How beautiful it is that I gave him life & in turn he gave me my life.” Recovery continued long after the transplant. Crystal describes weight loss, vision and nervous-system effects, tremors, fatigue, nausea, a weakened immune system and graft-versus-host disease affecting her eyes and skin. She was unable to work for approximately ten months before returning to her job. Crystal is grateful for the Colorado RECA advocacy community and continues to live with the effects of treatment and recovery.