A UCLA alumna who counseled UCLA students for more than two decades is currently searching for a bone marrow donation to help her fight against cancer.
Lovell Sevilla, the director of counseling at UCLA Honors Programs, was recently diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a form of blood and bone marrow cancer. A successful bone marrow transplant could save her life.
The counselor’s former students are trying to find a donor for Sevilla through a Facebook page titled “Help Lovell.” The students also hosted a marrow drive at UCLA last week, registering about 80 donors.
A patient at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Sevilla said she has struggled for months to find a bone marrow donor who has a tissue composition that her body will accept. Bone marrow is responsible for the production of white blood cells, but with leukemia, Sevilla’s bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells.
For a marrow transplant to work, the donor and patient must have a similar, or matching, tissue type. Because Sevilla is Filipino, it is more likely that her match will be a Filipino person, said Madhuri Mistry, the community relations manager at Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches, an organization that seeks to increase the diversity in the marrow database.
Anyone can register to donate online through Be the Match, which is run by the National Marrow Donor Program. Individuals can also register for a bone marrow drive through the website for Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches.
Sevilla recently completed her second round of chemotherapy and her cancer is currently in a state of remission, ready for a marrow match.
“My statement to leukemia: I’m going to fight you and you are not going to take me,” Sevilla said.
Despite hair loss and the negative side effects that come with chemotherapy, Sevilla said she remains optimistic and continues to live her life with a goal of serving others.
In 2010, she was awarded the Chancellor’s Excellence in Service Award for recognizing and expanding diversity in the Honors Program at UCLA.
Several of Sevilla’s former students, including UCLA alumnus Derek Mateo, are working on developing a website for Sevilla. Mateo said he hopes to set it up this week so more events and marrow drives can be established.
She does not see her time at the hospital as a medical leave, Sevilla said. Instead, she views it as a time to reflect, pray and continue living a life of service.
“I’m in warrior mode because every single day I have to fight,” Sevilla said.
Sevilla said she would like to continue helping others by educating the community about the need for marrow donations for the numerous patients, including herself, who need transplants.
Contributing reports by Sam Hoff, Bruin reporter.