My name is Justin Jewell. I am 20 years old, from Belle River, ON. I am an AML survivor of three years and a stem cell recipient. I am a musician and music has been my life-long passion. I was given my first guitar at the age of four and carried it with me everywhere I went. Growing up I would entertain my family and friends, and when I was old enough, I started making a name for myself in the local Windsor music scene.
In August 2017, my family and I had just returned from a vacation up on Manitoulin Island. I had a full weekend of playing music in Kingsville ahead of me when I started feeling “off”. At the same time, I had noticed bruising on my arms and legs, and I had a feeling something was not right.
August 9, 2017, the bruising was still present and so my mom decided to take me to the clinic, hoping they would do bloodwork and offer an answer to these issues. After I went for bloodwork and some x-rays, we went home to await the results. It was 9:00pm that evening when the results came in. The phone rang and I had answered it. The doctor we saw earlier that day was on the other end and he instructed me to go into the Emergency Room at Windsor Regional Hospital and that he would let them know I was coming. He let my mom know that my bloodwork results were “quite abnormal”.
After arriving in the ER, I was called in right away. Doctors and nurses asked questions and ran more tests and within a few hours had found the issue. I had leukemia. The following morning, I was sent by ambulance to LHSC Children’s Hospital, in London, where I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. One of the things I remember saying was; “I’d better pack my guitar…”
Within a few days of being admitted, Childcan was there to offer us support. They provided us with a hospital parking pass, meal vouchers, and any other essential support we would need during this time. I stayed in the hospital, on B6, for the next four months of my treatment, during which time I met all kinds of wonderful people. Music therapy helped me do what I loved most even on my darkest days. The doctors always knew how I was feeling on any given day depending on if there was music coming from my room. I tried to fill the entire floor with music.
On November 30, 2017, I left LHSC and on my way to SickKids Hospital, in Toronto to have a bone marrow transplant. I received new stem cells on December 8 and engrafted on December 20th. I was discharged from SickKids on December 22, just in time for Christmas.
Over the next couple of months, I went for weekly follow-ups in Toronto, and then in London again. I was finally back home in Belle River on March 9, 2018. My family and I are so grateful for Childcan for supporting us through it all.
As of first writing this, I had continued to go to London for regular follow-up appointments. Those appointments have become less frequent as I continue to do so well. I was two and a half years post transplant and because of that I had recently received information about and contacted my donor. In the future I would like to travel to Germany to meet my donor in person.
Fast forward further, to 2024, I am now just over six years post-BMT. This past summer my family had the privilege of inviting Justine, my stem cell donor, along with her partner Christian, to stay with us for 2 weeks. It was their first-time visiting Canada, from Germany, and in that time we had the media come and hear both sides of mine and Justine’s story, both as a donor and recipient. It was quite a surreal experience for both of us to finally put a face to a name. Childcan continues to support our family, as we do in return, through supporting various events including the Port Stanley Polar Bear Dip, as well as the recently created “Childcan Rocks For Hope” event in Windsor. I am now in after-care at Victoria Hospital, and I only have to visit once a year for annual follow-ups.
Music continues to be a main driving passion in my life as well. I am a music teacher at both the Lakeview Montessori School, and Sonata Piano Studios in Tecumseh, where I instruct guitar, ukulele and piano lessons. I also continue to produce and write original music. I’ve recently performed at the 2024 Port Stanley Polar Bear Dip, and at the second annual “Childcan Rocks for Hope” event in Windsor - a concert which at the RockStar Music Hall and featuring 4 amazing local bands.. and me!; both wonderful events supporting Childcan!
Thank you Justin, for sharing your story, and your talent with our circle of community! We hope to see you at another event again soon.
