On June 23, UF Health hosted its 16th Bone Marrow Transplant Reunion.

The University of Florida Health Bone Marrow Transplant Reunion is held every two years to bring together transplant survivors, their families, caregivers and donors for a day of celebration of life, survival, food, education and fun. As many as 500 patients, caregivers, donors, volunteers and staff members attend each year.

The Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at UF Health is the state’s first and most successful transplant program, having completed more than 3,200 transplants for both adult and pediatric patients for diseases such as leukemia, multiple myeloma, lymphomas, neuroblastoma, myelodysplastic syndromes, testicular cancer, aplastic anemia, certain genetic disorders and immunodeficiency syndromes. The patient outcomes for this program are ranked among the top 2.5 percent nationwide.

The event, which was closed to the public, included speakers, live music, lunch, a magic show, a slideshow and a story-telling segment.

“Nearly 500 of our patients and families and our staff gathered together in a glorious occasion devoted to healing and making joyful connections,” John Wingard, M.D., said. “We shared moments of joy, moments of sadness, we honored the memory of those whom we lost along the way. We discovered musical and magical talents among our extended family, we heard from the patients how much we really mean to them, how interconnected we all are.”