Unstoppable Stories from the great blackout

Unstoppable Stories from the great blackout

On Monday, the blackout didn’t stop us. Always Unstoppable.

That day, 14 patients—10 in our country and 4 in other parts of the world—had just received a very aggressive treatment to eradicate leukemia the week before. This was only possible because we had found them a compatible donor.

On Monday, all 14 of them were waiting to receive the donation that our colleagues at REDMO had worked tirelessly to coordinate in the previous days. Only the timely infusion of these Unstoppable cells could give them a new chance at life. Getting them there was, quite literally, a matter of life.

On Monday, despite enormous challenges, REDMO teams were able to confirm that the donations were on their way. The couriers—those responsible for transporting the cells—did the impossible to reach the patients’ hospitals on time, even with phones down, trains stopped, airports nearly shut down, and roads overwhelmed… And we did it!

All the patients who, on Monday and Tuesday, were depending on us—in Spain, Denmark, and the United States—received their transplants. Every donation, whether coming from within Spain or from Poland, Germany, and France, arrived on time.

Meanwhile, Beatriz and Gregorio were living their own personal odyssey.

On Monday, their train broke down in the middle of nowhere, halfway between Alicante and Barcelona. This was a very important trip for Beatriz. She has Hodgkin lymphoma, and first thing Tuesday morning, she had to be at Hospital Sant Pau. At the Foundation, we had a support apartment ready for them and were waiting for their arrival.

By late afternoon, Beatriz and Gregorio were stranded in a roadside bar, unsure how to reach Barcelona. That’s when they got the call from the Josep Carreras Foundation. They had to complete the journey—no matter what.

Finally, at 3:30 a.m., Beatriz and Gregorio arrived at our support apartment on Carrer de Sant Quintí, just five minutes from the hospital, where Marta and Jasmin from our Housing Support Team were waiting for them.

On Tuesday, Beatriz was able to go to the hospital to be evaluated for a new treatment for her illness. She will stay in our apartment for as long as she needs.

By the way, their suitcases—which were left behind on the train—are already on their way, thanks to the kindness of another passenger.

Nothing stopped us. Not the patients, not the donors, not the professionals, not the generous people who stepped in. And we never gave up either.

Thank you for making it possible. We remain Unstoppable.