Diana Brutoco is one determined woman. "I used to tell my kids, 'Just do it!' before Nike did," she said. Besides motivating her four children, that attitude helped the Southern California resident overcome long odds to beat leukemia — and inspired an effort that helped countless patients to come.

Nearly 20 years ago, when Diana was diagnosed with leukemia, she was given three years to live if she didn't have a bone-marrow transplant. The National Marrow Donor Program registry — the place patients turn to when they don't have a matching donor within their family — was in its infancy. After Diana initially couldn't find a donor within what was then an undersized registry, her husband took action.

Dr. Rudi Brutoco started a foundation that significantly expanded the registry, ultimately adding 300,000 potential marrow donors and raising $11 million for the National Marrow Donor Program.

"It's a wonderful feeling knowing that we helped facilitate many of the unrelated transplants taking place every day," Diana said. "It gives purpose to the fear, pain and hard work we experienced during that time of my illness and afterward."

During the several months of waiting for a donor, the Brutocos pondered where to go for a transplant. They settled on the Hutchinson Center, which had pioneered bone-marrow transplants. "We wanted to go to the best place in the world for it," Diana said.

Diana remembers a nurse who played guitar and sang to patients at night and another who was tough and demanding, pushing Diana to exercise and fight for her life. She said her desire to watch her four young children grow up also strengthened her determination to survive.

"I have a very, very warm spot in my heart for the Hutchinson Center," she added. "It's an amazing place — it was my rebirth place. We are forever grateful to Don Thomas and his wife, Dottie, and everyone associated with the Hutch. They enabled us to make a miracle!"

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