LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — One Las Vegas mother who is pregnant with her fourth child is fighting for her life and having to travel out of state to get the care she needs.
In November, 26-year-old Aryanna Brewer, of Northwest Las Vegas, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Complicating her situation, Brewers is six months pregnant.
"I have four different teams working on me. My two biggest concerns are the baby and then the transplant," Brewer said.
This is not Brewer's first encounter with cancer. Almost a decade ago, she successfully battled acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Unfortunately, the cancer has resurfaced, requiring a life-saving allogeneic stem cell transplant, a procedure not available in the Las Vegas valley.
"The chemo didn't cure me. It treated me for almost ten years. But because of that, I'm not going to be able to just get chemo again," Brewer explained.
Facing a lack of specialized healthcare options in Southern Nevada, Brewer had to cross state lines for treatment at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. Diego Trujillo, CEO of Las Vegas Heals, a non-profit organization addressing healthcare challenges in the area, highlighted the strain on the healthcare system in Las Vegas due to its rapid growth.
"We export a lot of procedures out of our state and that means a lot of procedures that are reimbursed in other states," Trujillo noted.
Brewer expressed the difficulty of being away from her three toddlers and the upcoming addition to her family during the extended treatment period.
"It could be like six months to a year that I'm away from my family and it just sucks," Brewer said.
Finding a suitable stem cell match is crucial for Brewer's treatment. She is currently in search of a donor and explained the challenges associated with finding a compatible match.
"If we can't find a 100% match, we'll try to find a 50% match. If we can't find a 50% match, we'll try to go to 25. But that increases the risk of rejection because when someone else's DNA goes into your system. You're the foreign object," Brewer explained.
If you are interested in becoming a donor, visit https://bethematch.org/update-your-contact-information.
