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Erik: How has cancer affected you personally in your life?
Randall: I have had relatives who have passed away from cancer. I actually had one of the
most momentous moments of my life back in 2008 when I had kind of forgotten that I was
in the national Bone Marrow registry. I received a call right after moving here to Austin that
I was a potential match for a 16 year old boy who had been diagnosed with Leukemia and
if I was willing to go through the steps among the pool of donors that they would see if
we, among the pool were a match any of us. About 7 months later in July of 2008 I got
a call that I was actually the match for the 16 year old boy who after going through all
the other searches through family, through relatives that I was his best chance at survival.
So, having that opportunity is something that it shakes you to a point where you look at
it and you say I’m the lucky one, I’m the one who is healthy enough to be a donor.
I went through the processes, had a stem cell donation, stem cell transplant in September
of 2008 in Atlanta. And while my recipient did pass away 8 months later he passed away
not due to any of the complications of the procedure itself but realizing that whenever
an immune system is brought down to that point what could be a common cold to you and I was
just debilitating to him. that experience alone honestly has altered my life from that
point forward and I‘m just fully inspired everyday just how fortunate I am to be in
this world and as a result let’s keep leading the fight against cancer.
Erik: What has volunteering for Livestrong in Austin done to shape your sense of purpose?
Randall: Well Livestrong in itself, the empowerment of those with cancer, the entire cause, what
it represents is just in such an amazing ability to connect. Not only with those who are in
and around the community, those that worked at Livestrong that I’ve worked with. Many
of them are actual cancer survivors, many of them are also just friends, family, associates,
they’ve been affected in one way shape or form by the dreaded disease of cancer that
we are all, you know, hoping to one day see a cure for. The amount of people that I’ve
met over the last three years and working with Livestrong, both those working with the
foundation directly and then those who volunteer within the various events and causes that
they have. It’s just been an unbelievable network and everybody is fighting for the
same cause. And there is almost like a family, there is not almost, there is a family element
to working and being involved with Livestrong on any level. It’s something that I highly
encourage anybody, not just here in Austin where they are based, but in all the cities
around the world where Livestrong has a presence since they do now have an impactful global
reach.