Sherry Carpenter and Joan McNamara, RN, enjoy a light moment while Carpenter’s sister, Robin Mares, looks on. For bone marrow transplant patients like Carpenter, treatment is intense, and hospital stays often range from weeks to months. They forge close bonds with the staff members who care for them, which can help lighten the emotional load.
The Siteman Cancer Center performed 308 bone marrow transplants in 2007, making it the fourth-largest program in the country.