Introducing our 2023 Ride Honoree-Carley Doyle

Hello, my name is Carley Doyle and this year I have the pleasure of being chosen as the patient whose story is being honored by the Donor Center Team for the Ride for Roswell. On June 28, 2022 I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and was immediately admitted to Roswell Park Cancer Institute to begin treatment. Like all patients, the diagnosis came as a shock and completely turned my world upside down. I was previously a healthy 28 year old with big plans who had been sick for a few weeks with what doctors thought was either a viral infection or pneumonia. 

For my first round of treatment, I was admitted for 5 weeks to receive my first round of chemotherapy. We didn’t know what to expect, but it became clear very fast that I would need constant blood products as part of my treatment. In just five short weeks, I received 32 red blood cell and platelet transfusions from many donors from both friends and strangers all of whom played a role in saving my life. I will forever be grateful and indebted to these selfless individuals who donated out of the kindness of their hearts to help patients like me. As I continued my treatment with more rounds of chemotherapy, my doctors determined that a bone marrow transplant was the best option I had in order to achieve a cancer free life. So on October 18, I received another precious gift—this time in the form of a stem cell donation from my sister, who was a 100% match. It is another blessing that I will be forever grateful for. 

In the weeks following my transplant, I continued to receive life-saving blood transfusions from an enormous amount of generous donors. It became clear to my family and I early on that the donor center was an avenue where we could help make a difference for other cancer patients, so we called upon our friends—“Carley’s Crew”—to rally. They did not disappoint. 

Amidst the negativity of my cancer diagnosis, I found insurmountable love, kindness, and community through the donor center that I’ll always find inspiring. In my experience, I have seen some of the greatest acts of selflessness as I watched countless people flock to the donor center to help in any way they could. It has shown me that the good will always outweigh the bad in the world. 

I cannot say enough positive things about the treatment I have received during my care at Roswell from my doctors, nurses, care coordinators, and everyone else involved in my care since day one.  This includes the work of the donor center, which has had a tremendous impact on my care.

When I am having good days during recovery, I like to spend my time walking my dog Lola, reading a good book, FaceTiming friends, and spending time with my family—who have been my rock throughout treatment. I look forward to getting back to many more activities in the near future when I am able to do so.