Transplant Recipients Give Back to Pay It Forward
Diagnosed with leukemia in 2022, Pat Fuscoe initially received a dire prognosis. Two doctors told him he had no treatment options and needed to get his affairs in order.
At City of Hope, he heard a different message: a bone marrow transplant could save his life.
Fuscoe moved forward with the procedure and today is cancer-free. His experience reflects what bone marrow transplant has become over the past five decades. What was once considered high risk is now a proven, lifesaving therapy for many patients with blood cancers.
Leadership Powered by Philanthropic Support
City of Hope has led the way. It was among the first U.S. cancer centers to use bone marrow transplants to treat leukemia. Founded in 1976 with two physicians, three beds and a single successful transplant, City of Hope’s Bone Marrow Transplant Program is now one of the nation’s largest and most successful. To date, more than 20,000 people have had bone marrow transplants at City of Hope locations in Duarte, Calif., Phoenix, Chicago and Atlanta.
Donors funded early, high-risk innovation at City of Hope that helped transform bone marrow transplant from an experimental therapy into a standard of care. Today, philanthropic support continues to expand research, advance immunotherapy and attract top physician-scientists to City of Hope. It also helps bring care to more communities throughout the United States and supports patients and families during treatment.
A Second Chance and a Second Birthday
For many patients, a bone marrow transplant is more than a procedure. It marks a new beginning.
At City of Hope, survivors celebrate their “second birthday,” the day of their transplant. Each year, thousands gather at the bone marrow transplant reunion in Duarte to honor that milestone and celebrate with others who are still going strong 30 or even 40 years after a bone marrow transplant.
J.T. Gandolfo is one of them. The owner of multiple car dealerships in South Carolina, he was diagnosed in 2018 with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and traveled from his home to City of Hope in Duarte for a bone marrow transplant. At the 50th Anniversary Bone Marrow Transplant Reunion on May 1, 2026, he celebrated birthday number eight alongside his brother, who donated stem cells for his transplant.
“How could I not go to the reunion? I’m part of an exclusive club now,” says Gandolfo. “It’s just a remarkable event.”
His experience also led Gandolfo to support City of Hope philanthropically. “City of Hope cancer research is off the charts,” he says. “I’m proud to contribute to it.”
Looking Ahead
Fifty years after its first transplant, City of Hope continues to lead in bone marrow transplant and cellular therapies with outcomes that consistently exceed national benchmarks. Its physician-scientists conduct more than 730 clinical trials each year, giving patients early access to the latest therapies.
City of Hope would not be the leading bone marrow transplant organization it is today without philanthropy. Continued support will help accelerate discoveries, bring new therapies to patients faster and extend hope to more families.
For patients like Pat Fuscoe, the impact is personal. A bone marrow transplant gave him more time and a reason to help others have the same chance. After two different health institutions told him he had limited time left, Pat explored a third opinion at City of Hope. There he heard, “I can help you, and better than that, I can cure you." A bone marrow transplant gave Pat a renewed chance at life.
Looking back, there were many things that stayed with Pat about his experience at City of Hope. The quality of the care he received, the dedication he observed in his interactions with the nurses, the staff, including the janitor. “I met them all, I talked to them all—they love working there.” A CEO himself, he was greatly impressed by the culture of City of Hope, and how it’s run.
Four years later, Pat is excited to attend every reunion and pay it forward.
“It’s about giving back… Other people deserve to live, too.”
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