'Without her, I'm not here': Manitoba man says stem cell transplant helped him in cancer fight

A father of three and school principal from Carman, Man., said a generous stem cell donor help move him from palliative care to remission.

In March 2020, Jack Phillips noticed a lump on his neck.

“When I went to see the nurse practitioner a couple of days later, I had a pretty good idea it was some sort of cancer.”

Jack was originally diagnosed with marginal zone b lymphoma, and months of chemotherapy followed. But in Sept. 2021, doctors became concerned over his blood counts and diagnosed him with a different cancer – chronic lymphocytic leukemia, along with a rare complication called a Richter’s transformation, which made it incredibly aggressive.

“We were told at the time I have a 20 per cent chance of living the year, provided I get a stem cell transplant,” he said.

Stem cell transplants are often the last option for cancer patients like Jack, who have tried everything else. But find a donor can be difficult - just 50 per cent are successful.

Jack matched with a woman in Germany. However, he found another lump in his neck before he could get the procedure done.

With the cancer back, his options were grim – a stem cell transplant with a low chance of survival, or palliative care.

He chose the stem cell transplant, a plan his oncologist called a Hail Mary.

“The way I thought of it is I have my family, and I need to do whatever I can to be with them and to enjoy those future times with them."

After he received the stem cell transplant, Jack returned home to his wife and kids. Three months later, he was in remission.

“I think of my German donor, and without her, I’m not here,” he said. “With her, I have a chance at borrowed time and celebrating with my family and friends and moving on with life.”

“This woman is a hero to us,” said Cindy Phillips, Jack’s wife.

For a stem cell transplant to be considered a success, Jack’s cancer needs to remain in remission for two years. He will hit that milestone in March 2025.

“I’ve got another few months to go before I’m considered a success, but I’m feeling fairly confident that I’m going to get there,” he said.

Jack has been sharing his story to encourage more people to join the stem cell registry. At a recent school appearance, he had 20 students join the registry.

The Hero In You Campaign runs throughout November, with the goal of filling 1,500 blood donation appointments. Appointments can be made online or by calling 1-888-2-DONATE

-With files from CTV's Maralee Caruso