Nurse Diagnosed with Leukemia Urgently Needs a Stem Cell Donor to Survive

From hospital patient to nurse—and back again

Alexis Long has spent her career supporting new families as a postpartum nurse at UNC Hospitals. Now, the care she’s given to others is being returned, as she faces a critical health crisis of her own.

Diagnosed earlier this year with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), Alexis needs a blood stem cell transplant to survive. But after years of searching, she still hasn’t found a donor match.

A nurse's journey begins with a diagnosis

Born and raised in Hillsborough, North Carolina, Alexis was first diagnosed with aplastic anemia in 2014 during high school. Treated at UNC Chapel Hill Hospital, she was inspired by the nurses who cared for her to pursue the profession herself.

That calling led her to UNC Greensboro, where she earned her nursing degree. For the past three years, she has worked on the postpartum unit at UNC Hospitals—the same hospital where she was born.

@nurse.org 💜 Meet Alexis — a postpartum nurse who’s helped countless mothers and babies during their most precious moments. Now, she’s fighting for her own life. Earlier this year, Alexis was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Her only chance for survival is a blood stem cell transplant—but she hasn’t found a match yet. 📊 Because of a shortage of diverse donors in the registry, Black patients like Alexis have just a 29% chance of finding an unrelated match. You can help change that. ✅ It’s free. ✅ It’s easy. Join the registry today. 💌 Go to nurse.org/news to find the article or click the link in bio to see if you could be the match Alexis has been waiting for. #bethematch #nurse #leukemia #donorregistry #acutemyeloidleukemia ♬ original sound - nurse.org

A second diagnosis—and a second fight

In May 2025, Alexis received devastating news: her aplastic anemia had progressed to AML. Despite extensive efforts to find both related and unrelated donors over the years, she still hasn’t found a match.

Her coworkers describe her as caring, enthusiastic, and deeply dedicated to her patients. They’re now rallying behind her in hopes that a compatible match can be found.

“Finding that perfect donor would mean the world to her, she would be so eternally grateful and I just know she would make a positive impact,” said fellow nurse Cuianna Sanford.

Destinee Carter, another nurse who works closely with Long, shared how Alexis’s work ethic influences others:

That mindset, Carter added, is why a donor match would mean so much:

“It would really be a blessing. For her son, for her family, for all of us.”

Finding comfort in familiar surroundings

Although no one wants to be in the hospital, Alexis says she feels comforted knowing she’s at UNC—surrounded by the people and place that have been part of her journey since childhood.

“I was born here. I’ve been getting a treatment here since I was young,” she noted. “It feels like home.”

Her colleagues have been visiting regularly, reminding her she’s not facing this battle alone.

Still, her ultimate goal is to be healthy enough to return to her patients and to her young son. She dreams of being able to run and play with him again.

The racial gap in donor matches

One of the biggest challenges Alexis—and many others—face is the lack of diverse donors in the national registry.

• White patients have a 79% chance of finding an unrelated donor.
  
  
• Black or African American patients have only a 29% chance of finding an unrelated donor.

That disparity means fewer matches for patients like Alexis, who is part of a large, tight-knit Black family.

How you can help

Joining the donor registry is simple. It starts with a cheek swab. If you are between the ages of 18 and 55 and in general good health, you may be able to register as a potential blood stem cell donor.

Even if you’re not a match for Alexis, your swab could save someone else’s life.

🤔Nurses, share your thoughts in the discussion forum below!