With donor help, Bon Secours St. Francis Foundation and the St. Francis Cancer Center are transforming cancer care with new treatments. The results are impressive. Just ask Don Batson, whose cancer is now in complete remission thanks to donor support.

Don was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in September 2023. He was referred to the Cancer Center by his primary care physician. His cancer was asymptomatic, so Don is grateful his doctor noticed a troubling change in his test results.

“We are blessed to have the Cancer Center in South Carolina,” says Don. “The nurses and doctors are incredible. I wouldn’t go anywhere else.”

Oncologists at the Cancer Center developed a treatment plan that included a new cellular immunotherapy. In April 2024, about 3 million of Don’s own T-cells were extracted and genetically modified with a special protein. The modified T-cells then tracked down and killed the cancer cells.

It might sound like something out of a science fiction novel, but it’s not. Donor support helps Bon Secours St. Francis seek out the best treatments for patients in Greenville.

“Everything worked, just like they said it would,” says Don. “You just gotta have faith in your doctors and follow their process.”

Don continues to take medication and returns to the Cancer Center for periodic infusions. While multiple myeloma isn’t curable, Don is in complete remission. His cancer is being managed by his current treatment regimen.

“The Foundation is making a difference,” Don says. “Every time I go for treatment, I see somebody new. The need is amazing.”