Active and fit, Arash Rounaghi never imagined that at age 45 he would be diagnosed with blood cancer or that his wife, Stephanie, would be diagnosed with breast cancer shortly thereafter. Neither of them could have known how their son would help save his father’s life — and bring the family even closer together.
The Rounaghi’s journey with cancer began in 2018, when Arash found himself winded from climbing a set of stairs from the beach. After just 20 steps he had to stop. He was concerned and told Stephanie he’d find out from his doctor what was going on.
Arash and Stephanie led full, busy lives as parents of five children. Arash managed his own print shop and was an avid mountain biker. He also volunteered as a high school basketball coach. But the episode at the stairs marked the beginning of challenges that would unite the Rounaghis in ways they would have never predicted.
The cause of Arash’s fatigue was revealed when a bone biopsy showed he had hairy cell leukemia, a type of hematologic cancer causing his body to make too many white blood cells. Arash’s brother, an orthopedic surgeon, recommended he seek care at City of Hope because of its advanced expertise in blood cancer research and treatment; Arash reached out and met with Matthew Mei, M.D., a noted hematologist-oncologist.
“I felt this immediate sense of confidence and hope from the moment I arrived at City of Hope,” Arash recalls. He began two different therapies at City of Hope’s Duarte campus, and within a year the cancer went into remission.
However, as the pandemic was spreading in 2020, Arash began feeling ill. Fearing he had caught COVID, he went to the doctor and learned his hemoglobin number was once again very low. “I instantly knew my cancer was back,” Arash says. “I also instantly knew I wanted to go back to City of Hope.” His doctor developed and implemented two treatment plans which Arash continued for the next two years; by his own estimate, Arash has had around 200 blood transfusions since his cancer was first diagnosed.
Two Journeys
Cancer then dealt the family another unexpected blow. In fall 2022, Stephanie was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. Now, the husband and wife were both traveling for doctor visits and treatments while trying to manage the impacts on their physical and emotional health, their work and their family life.
They did not have to face their challenges alone. The community came together and organized six blood drives so that donors could give blood directly for Arash’s transfusions. The Rounaghis are known and loved in their hometown, where Arash coached basketball and led the Laguna Beach youth league.
Like Arash, Stephanie felt her care team at City of Hope really understood her situation. She was able to receive treatment at City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center in Irvine — the most advanced comprehensive cancer center in Orange County. Her integrated team included City of Hope Orange County experts Irene M. Kang, M.D., the medical director of women’s health oncology; Jennifer Tseng, M.D., the medical director of breast surgery; and plastic surgeon and aesthetic breast reconstruction specialist Mouchammed Agko, M.D.
“My City of Hope team encouraged me collaboratively, valuing my ideas and my interest in holistic approaches,” Stephanie says. “They acted with a sense of urgency when my disease required quick attention and shared in my joy and optimism throughout my healing. They understood I was a mother with big and little children, a caregiver, and that Arash was also battling cancer; they considered all those things when helping shape my care plan.”
Finding Ways Through
After completing chemotherapy in 2023, Arash was told that his cancer was essentially “gone — but my bone marrow was damaged, so I would need a stem cell transplant,” he says.
In Arash’s case, stem cells would be taken from a donor and infused into his body to make new blood cells — an allogenic transplant. City of Hope leads the largest and most successful bone marrow and blood stem cell transplant program in the nation, with nearly 20,000 bone marrow transplant procedures performed to date across its national network.
After a comprehensive search, Arash’s oldest son, Arthur, an Air Force Academy cadet, turned out to be the best donor match.
“I remember thinking how blessed my family and I were for this opportunity,” says Arthur. “Not only did my dad have a route to being cancer-free after so many rough years, but I had the opportunity to participate in saving his life. How awesome is that? At the end of the day, it still pales in comparison to everything my dad has done for me, and I would do it a million times over to keep him with us.”
The transplant took place in May 2023 and was a success. Arash’s new, healthy stem cells began to grow and multiply. A week later, Stephanie successfully underwent a mastectomy at City of Hope while Arash was still in the hospital recovering.
There is no denying it was a stressful and complicated time for the family, they say. “One key to getting through it was accepting help,” says Stephanie. “Our family and friends circled the wagons and sustained us through many years of highs and lows. They faithfully stood by us, praying, cheering, feeding, loving us through it all.”
Celebrating Survivorship
Arash and Stephanie are profoundly grateful to be sharing survivorship together. They are jubilant that their health and energy are good, and they are dedicated to healthy living.
Arash has returned to mountain biking with his two 18-year-olds, even biking down paths that the teenagers could not handle. “I can’t believe how back to normal I am,” says Arash. “I almost feel like a superhero.”
Stephanie says she is “in a ‘stay healthy protocol’ phase” and continuing to rebuild her immune system. “No one wants cancer, but it can be a blessing if we understand why we became sick and how to heal,” says Stephanie. “I believe it was a divine tap on the shoulder telling me I needed to change everything and live a more authentic life. Cancer gave me courage to make difficult decisions and truly live.”
Arash feels much the same sense of renewal. “I went through this journey with cancer, and I thought I was going to lose everything,” Arash says. “But with City of Hope, I got a second chance at life, and everything now to me is sweeter. Every time I wake up in the morning, I thank God that I’m alive. Every single moment of my life is cherished.”
Also read:
Talking Hope: Clinical trials are unlocking new possibilities in cancer treatment
City of Hope Orange County leads lifesaving immunotherapy research and treatment for hema
tologic cancers
Talking Hope: How to choose the right doctors and cancer center for your breast cancer surgery
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