Linda Theander-Adam's Page's Fundraising Page

Born in Stockholm, Sweden on September 26th, 1985, Linda Therese Theander-Adam moved to the US in 2006 to pursue her studies. She earned an undergraduate degree from San Diego State University and a masters degree from Columbia University, graduating from both programs with honors. Since completing her studies, Linda has dedicated her life to helping others. Her professional accomplishments include work at UN Women, the Red Cross, Partnership for Eradication of Human Trafficking and the Miami Bayside Foundation, in addition to co-founding several nonprofit ventures including Shaadi Karma.

Linda is currently undergoing treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA where she underwent a bone marrow transplant in April 2017 and is expected to undergo a second procedure, a stem cell boost, in June 2017. Inspired by a desire to improve treatment and outcomes for other patients, we have created a fundraising effort in Linda's name. Our goal is to help raise awareness for two research protocols focused on treating bone marrow transplant patients:

1) In 2015, Linda was diagnosed with an incredibly rare congenital disease called Dyskeratosis Congenita (DKC), which the National Institute of Health estimates affects 500-1000 people globally. DKC leads to multiple organ failure, with bone marrow failure being the most common issue shared by those diagnosed. Linda's bone marrow transplant is being conducted under the guidelines of a protocol created by Dr. Suneet Agarwal, pediatric oncologist at Boston Children's Hospital and Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, in conjunction with Dr. Joseph Harry Antin, head of the Stem Cell Transplant Program of the Department of Medical Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. This protocol is the first BMT protocol focused entirely on treating patients with Dyskeratosis Congenita and funding would be used to help treat DKC patients at DFCI and other institutes around the world.

2) The second protocol is focused on treating BK, a virus that reactivated in Linda during her post BMT period. This virus lies dormant in nearly all of us and presents no symptoms, however in patients with compromised immune systems, it can cause acute and painful symptoms in the urinary tract, many times requiring hospitalization and invasive therapies. There is currently no cure for BK. Dr. Joseph Antin has created a protocol focused on developing a treatment that can help BMT patients in elite medical centers across the US.

We have set the ambitious goal of raising $200,000 but know that even falling short, every dollar can and will help. Each dollar contributed in Linda's name will be split evenly between the two protocols. Please click on the "make a gift" tab in order to make a gift via credit card. For more information or to make a gift via check or stock, please contact Nancy Downer, Assistant Vice President, Principal & Major Gifts, at (617) 582-7783 or nancy_downer@dfci.harvard.edu.