LCCC Great Grads

Catherine Hyland

Rare Blood Disorder, Delays, But Doesn’t Stop Avon Lake Woman from Earning her Degree

When Catherine Hyland went to the doctor for a check-up because she was experiencing shortness of breath, the last thing she expected to be told was that she had a rare blood disorder.  A disorder that while common in 70 year olds, was rare in someone who was just 20. 

“I am the youngest person to ever contract this particular type of the blood disorder Myelodysplastic syndrome,” Hyland said. 

Myelodysplastic Syndrome is a group of diseases that affects blood-forming cells inside bone marrow. In people afflicted with MDS, the marrow is unable to produce enough healthy red blood cells, white blood cells and blood platelets. The maturing blood cells may die in the marrow before they reach maturity and be released into the blood, leading to dangerously low blood-cell concentrations and an inability to battle infection.

Initially Hyland’s doctors thought it was treatable with medicine, but after seven months it was obvious that the medicine wasn’t working.  The next option was a bone marrow transplant.

While the thought of having a bone marrow transplant wasn’t pleasant, Hyland knew she had to go through it.  And she was fortunate that her older sister in Texas was a match. “If your siblings don’t match you have to go into a world registry and that can take much longer,” Hyland said. “I’m so thankful my sister was able to donate to me.”

During this medical trauma she was facing she was a student at LCCC. But she knew she would have to put school on hold for a while. “Because of my medical condition I had to withdraw and was able to get a 100 percent refund on the classes I was taking. I’m grateful LCCC is considerate of what is happening in students’ lives,” Hyland said.

After the bone marrow transplant she was ready to return to school to finish her associate’s of arts degree. However, her immune system was not yet recovered enough to let her venture out into public.  “I was able to take a full-time load starting in spring of 2008 utilizing all on-line classes,” she said. 

She returned to on campus classes the next fall and finished up this spring.  “People asked me how I was able to do it,” she said. “I told them you just do what you have to do. While you’re in the middle of something like that you don’t think about all the ‘what ifs,’ you just get through it.”

After graduating from LCCC this May, Hyland will attend Cleveland State University to earn a degree in advertising.  “I’ve already been accepted there,” she said proudly.

Having moved from Texas with her parents when she was 13 she was happy to stay close to home in Avon Lake to start her college career at LCCC.  It was a great experience for her and she encourages other high school students to consider LCCC.

“There are a lot of opportunities at LCCC. If students come with an open mind they can make many new friends and see things they’ve never seen before.  I’ve made some great friends from Korea and France as well as from other areas of Lorain County,” Hyland said.