Nancy Cully is 79 years old. She came to Roswell Park as a last resort. Her doctors near her home town of Butler, Pennsylvania had given up, telling her there were no treatments left for her chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), an uncommon type of blood cancer.

She was diagnosed in 2003 and treated with Gleevec, a new class of cancer drugs that targets abnormal proteins fundamental to the cancer itself. The treatment was successful and kept Nancy’s cancer in remission for three years. But, as often happens, Nancy developed a resistance to the therapy and her cancer returned. At that point, doctors gave her months to live and recommended hospice care.

But that wasn’t good enough for this Pennsylvania woman’s family, her husband, Bill, and sons, Mike and Bart. They went to work to find new options, asking for second opinions from other oncologists which eventually led the family to Roswell Park.

With recommendations from her Roswell Park physician, Dr. Meir Wetzler, Nancy joined a clinical study for potential new treatment for CML. She has now been under Dr. Wetzler’s care for more than a year.

“At Roswell Park, they treated me like I am gold. I absolutely adore the hospital, the people and especially Dr. Wetzler. His staff is superb and the nurses are capable and caring,” Nancy says. “Before Roswell Park, I was in a wheelchair. Now, I am able to travel and live a normal life. In August, we vacationed in San Diego, just as we have for many years. And I recently made a trip to North Carolina where I was able to see my sons’ expanding business operations. These are places I never thought I would see again. Dr. Wetzler gave me my life back.”

Nancy continues, “This hospital gave me a year that I never expected to have. I am able to cook and entertain family. Now I have hope that I might to be around for a few more years.”

Nancy’s message of hope for the holidays: “Never give up even when the situation seems hopeless. Look for new treatments, new doctors, new hospitals. They may give you some extra valuable time to spend with those you love.”