Shalynn Flavell had barely dipped her toe in the waters of adulthood when she was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome at the age of 21. Rare in young people, MDS is caused by abnormalities in the blood-forming cells of the bone marrow.

In need of a bone-marrow transplant, Shalynn came to the Hutchinson Center but found that her brother and parents weren't compatible marrow donors. Finally, after 10 months of waiting, an anonymous, unrelated donor was found.

"There's a stranger out there who gave me her marrow," Shalynn says. "I don't even know her, but she gave me the gift of life."

Today, at 37 years old, Shalynn is totally immersed in life; she is currently in postproduction of the pilot episode of a scuba travel TV show, which she is both producing and hosting with her business partner. They hope to sell the show to a cable network soon.

As an outdoor adventurer and former scuba-diving instructor, Shalynn says her current work is the perfect outlet for her interests. "This will keep me doing what I love - scuba diving and traveling," she said. And 15 years post-transplant, she maintains ties with the Hutchinson Center. In past years, she has volunteered as a public speaker and worked occasionally in the development department.

"The Hutchinson Center — and my marrow donor — gave me a new lease on life at a time when I was just starting out. I'm forever grateful for that."