Celebration of Life Bone Marrow Transplant 48th Reunion

BMT Reunion

The 2024 BMT Reunion will take place on Friday, May 3, 2024.
BMT patients and their guests can attend the reunion.
BMT Reunion 2023 Patient Meeting

City of Hope’s bone marrow transplant program started with just two physicians and three beds in 1976 when a young college student was admitted as a patient and became the hospital’s first successful bone marrow transplant. The student was one of City of Hope’s longest-surviving BMT patients and would remain in remission for the rest of his life.

City of Hope's bone marrow and stem cell transplant program is now one of the largest, most successful programs of its kind in the U.S. We perform more bone marrow transplants than any other hospital in the region and are among the top three hospitals in the nation in terms of total transplants performed. City of Hope has performed nearly 19,000 transplants.

The laboratory and clinical researchers have led the way in making transplants more effective and safer, with fewer side effects. The advent of BMT marked an important step forward in the battle against leukemia, lymphoma and other diseases of the blood and immune system, and City of Hope has played a crucial role in the advancement of the procedure. With growing success with nonrelated matched donors and, most recently, partially matched donors, BMT is saving more lives than ever before.

The “Celebration of Life” BMT reunion is an annual highlight at City of Hope. The reunion started with just one patient, his family, his doctors and a cake with a ‘1’ candle celebrating the one-year anniversary of his transplant. From there, the reunion grew to a small group of patients and their families. Only this time, Stephen Forman, M.D., and several nurses got together and cooked spaghetti the night prior to the celebratory lunch party held in a conference room at City of Hope.

Prior to the COVID 19 pandemic, the reunion was one of City of Hope’s biggest events each year, bringing together more than 4,000 transplant patients, donors, family members, doctors, nurses and other medical staff. Proudly wearing buttons indicating the anniversary of what patients call their “second birthday,” they returned to the Duarte campus to reunite, rejoice and reminisce in their common bond as survivors. As part of each reunion, two patients also meet their donors for the first time to thank the donors for giving them the gift of life.

For the past four years, patients, donors and others have celebrated virtually at an event that brought them together in a new way as an online community.

In 2024, City of Hope's BMT Reunion will again be held on the Duarte campus on Friday, May 3rd.

Click here to watch last year's virtual BMT Reunion.

Questions? Please send an email to ExternalEvents@coh.org
Note that RSVP’s will not be accepted via email.

Arrival Information

Parking
There will be limited event parking available on campus. Please follow posted signs and adhere to directions by City of Hope staff when you arrive.

  • Event parking is available at 2240 Buena Vista Street, Duarte, CA 91010.
  • Shuttle service will only be provided from the indicated lots (Lot T and U) to the event area.
  • Please do not park in non-event spaces, such as lots closest to Helford Hospital and other clinical buildings, as those are reserved for patients with appointments that day.

Please consider carpooling, ridesharing or taking public transportation whenever possible.

Rideshare

  • Designated event drop-off and pick-up area is at 1450 E. Duarte Road, between Village Road and Hope Drive. Follow posted signs.
  • Do not have your driver drop you off at Helford Hospital. You will be redirected to the event drop-off location.

Public Transportation

  • The Metro A Line - Duarte/City of Hope stop is located at a 4- to 5-minute walk from the event site.
  • If using the Metro Rail or Bus system, consider using The LA Metro Trip Planner.

Arrival Details

  • When you arrive, check in at the Registration Booth, located in front of House of Hope. All guests must check in to receive entry wristbands. Please arrive with your entire group to help minimize wait times.
  • All patients will receive a commemorative t-shirt and BMT Reunion button at check-in.
  • Seating will be on a first-come first-served basis. Please do not sit at any tables with a Reserved label.
    There will be thousands of guests on campus to celebrate. We appreciate your patience and courteous manner toward other attendees and staff in order to help ensure an enjoyable experience for all.

Questions? Please email us or call 800-333-6002.

Reunion FAQs
What is the date of the 48th Annual BMT Reunion?
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We are excited to bring the BMT Reunion back to the Duarte campus on Friday, May 3rd.

Is the reunion taking place in person this year?
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Yes! We are excited to be hosting the reunion in person on our Duarte campus in California on Friday, May 3rd.

Who can attend the BMT Reunion?
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Please note that only BMT patients and their guests may attend the reunion.  Invitations containing RSVP cards have been mailed. You may also RSVP online here.

How can I request a commemorative BMT Reunion t-shirt and button?
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BMT Reunion t-shirts and buttons will be available at event registration. Only patients may receive a t-shirt and button. There is no need to request your shirt ahead of the reunion.