Amanda Aiello
“They Saved My Daughter’s Life – Twice.”
Amanda Aiello was just 10 years old when she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a type of blood cancer. “It was the worst news that a parent could hear,” said Shannon Aiello, Amanda’s mother. Without any time to waste, Shannon immediately took her daughter to Broward Health Medical Center to seek treatment in 2017.
“The first time you treat cancer is when you have the best chance for a cure,” explained Hector Rodriguez-Cortes, M.D., a pediatric hematology-oncologist with the Broward Health Physician Group.
Following her treatments, Amanda celebrated the three-year anniversary of being cancer free in August 2020.
Unfortunately, after that milestone the family received difficult news; Amanda’s cancer had returned. The relapse was noticed during a routine follow-up visit when her doctors found a difference in her blood cell counts.
“When cancer comes back, it can be more concerning. Due to the situation and the type of leukemia Amanda had, we felt her best option for a cure was a bone marrow transplant,” said Dr. Rodriguez-Cortes. “We decided to make the referral to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.”
Initially, Shannon had some reservations about putting her daughter under more stress by having transplant surgery. “I had a long, emotional conversation with Dr. Angelica Garzon at Broward Health,” she said. “She explained everything to me and helped me understand why it was the best option to keep Amanda from relapsing again. So, we decided to do it.”
Amanda had a bone marrow transplant in December 2020 and is now in remission. The 10th-grader is back to focusing on her hobbies and goals, which include drawing and running in a 5k.
“There are no words for how much Amanda’s doctors did for us at Broward Health,” Shannon said. “I credit them with saving my daughter’s life not once, but twice.”