In April 1998, Barbara was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a deadly cancer of the bone marrow that can lead to severe bone fractures, kidney failure and weakening of the immune system. The cancer is caused by a malfunction of the plasma cells in bone marrow.
To combat her disease, Barbara opted for aggressive treatment- including bone marrow transplant, the only known cure for multiple myeloma. After researching several programs across the country, she and her husband, Michael, chose Rush’s Thomas Hazen Thorne Bone Marrow Transplant Center. “The best the world had to offer was right in our own backyard,” she said.
Fortunately, one of her brothers was a perfect match, and in July 1998 Barbara underwent a successful transplant. Barbara was one of the first patients ever to receive a new form of transplant that uses the power of transplanted cells from the donor’s own immune system to provide an additional boost against the cancer after the transplant. Years of research had taken place prior to her transplant. This research had shown that it is not just the high dose of chemotherapy but also the “new” immune system from the donor that fights the cancer.
The bone marrow transplant she received at Rush put Barbara’s cancer into remission for two years. Unfortunately, Barbara’s myeloma came back in December 2000. From that point until her death in the fall of 2001, she fought a tough battle.
Her family and friends remember Barbara Perlstein as somebody who was larger than life. In spite of her personal struggle, she had the foresight and energy to set up Second Chance. In 2002, Rush formerly acknowledged the contributions of this brave and spirited woman by naming a clinical treatment area — The Barbara Perlstein/Second Chance Outpatient Bone Marrow Transplant Clinic — in her honor.
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