Mandi Schwartz
Encyclopedia
Mandi Jocelyn Schwartz was a Canadian player with the Yale Bulldogs women's ice hockey team. In December 2008 — her junior year at Yale University
— Schwartz was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia
. Her diagnosis and search for a bone marrow or stem cell transplant resulted in bone marrow drives being held at Yale and in Canada. While bone marrow drives held at Yale University did not result in a match for Schwartz, they did result in six matches for other patients on the registry who were waiting for a transplant. She underwent a stem cell
transplant from donated umbilical cord
blood in September 2010. In December 2010, she learned that the cancer had returned and discontinued most forms of treatment. Schwartz died in Regina
, Saskatchewan
, at the age of 23.
at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame
in Wilcox
, Saskatchewan. She joined the Yale Bulldogs after graduating high school in 2006. Schwartz attended evaluation camps for Canadian national women's ice hockey team hosted by Hockey Canada
.
in December 2008, during her junior year at Yale. She had been sick for much of the fall semester, but attributed it to stress and an initial diagnosis of anemia
. She was diagnosed on December 8, 2008. She started treatment for her cancer in December 2008 and was able to briefly return to school and began practicing with the hockey team again in January 2010. In April 2010, she received word that her cancer had returned and was forced to leave school.
Doctors had decided that Schwartz's best option for treatment would be either a cord blood
or bone marrow
transplant. In the hopes of finding a match, bone marrow drives were organized at Yale University and at several locations throughout Canada. Drives held at Yale resulted in more than 1,600 people volunteering as potential donors. Bone marrow drives did not result in a match for Schwartz, but doctors found a suitable donor from umbilical cord blood. In September 2010, Schwartz underwent the transplant in Seattle. Her cancer went into remission after the transplant, but returned again in December 2010. Shortly after this, Schwartz decided to discontinue most forms of treatment. Rather than hoping for a cure, Schwartz continued with palliative
chemotherapy designed to minimize her symptoms. On April 2, 2011, she entered a Regina hospital and died the following day.
and Rylan, both play for the Colorado College
men's ice hockey team. Jaden was a first round draft pick of the St. Louis Blues
in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft
. She was engaged to Kaylem Prefontaine, whom she had met in high school. They had planned to marry in 2012.
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
— Schwartz was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia
Acute myeloid leukemia
Acute myeloid leukemia , also known as acute myelogenous leukemia, is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells, characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal white blood cells that accumulate in the bone marrow and interfere with the production of normal blood cells. AML is the most common acute...
. Her diagnosis and search for a bone marrow or stem cell transplant resulted in bone marrow drives being held at Yale and in Canada. While bone marrow drives held at Yale University did not result in a match for Schwartz, they did result in six matches for other patients on the registry who were waiting for a transplant. She underwent a stem cell
Stem cell
This article is about the cell type. For the medical therapy, see Stem Cell TreatmentsStem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells...
transplant from donated umbilical cord
Umbilical cord
In placental mammals, the umbilical cord is the connecting cord from the developing embryo or fetus to the placenta...
blood in September 2010. In December 2010, she learned that the cancer had returned and discontinued most forms of treatment. Schwartz died in Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, at the age of 23.
Hockey career
Schwartz played minor hockeyMinor hockey
Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from class to class...
at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame
Athol Murray College of Notre Dame
- History :In 1920, the Sisters of Charity of St. Louis opened the Notre Dame of the Prairies Convent and St. Augustine's residential elementary and high school for boys and girls at Wilcox, Saskatchewan; a small town on the Canadian prairies south of Regina – the provincial capital.Father Athol...
in Wilcox
Wilcox, Saskatchewan
Wilcox is a small village in Saskatchewan, Canada. Located approximately 41 kilometers south of Regina, Wilcox is best known for being the home of the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, a boarding school for students in grades 9-12. The village is also home to the Notre Dame Hounds ice hockey...
, Saskatchewan. She joined the Yale Bulldogs after graduating high school in 2006. Schwartz attended evaluation camps for Canadian national women's ice hockey team hosted by Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
.
Illness and death
Schwartz was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemiaAcute myeloid leukemia
Acute myeloid leukemia , also known as acute myelogenous leukemia, is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells, characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal white blood cells that accumulate in the bone marrow and interfere with the production of normal blood cells. AML is the most common acute...
in December 2008, during her junior year at Yale. She had been sick for much of the fall semester, but attributed it to stress and an initial diagnosis of anemia
Anemia
Anemia is a decrease in number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. However, it can include decreased oxygen-binding ability of each hemoglobin molecule due to deformity or lack in numerical development as in some other types of hemoglobin...
. She was diagnosed on December 8, 2008. She started treatment for her cancer in December 2008 and was able to briefly return to school and began practicing with the hockey team again in January 2010. In April 2010, she received word that her cancer had returned and was forced to leave school.
Doctors had decided that Schwartz's best option for treatment would be either a cord blood
Cord blood
Umbilical cord blood is blood that remains in the placenta and in the attached umbilical cord after childbirth. Cord blood is collected because it contains stem cells which can be used to treat hematopoietic and genetic disorders.-Collection:...
or bone marrow
Bone marrow
Bone marrow is the flexible tissue found in the interior of bones. In humans, bone marrow in large bones produces new blood cells. On average, bone marrow constitutes 4% of the total body mass of humans; in adults weighing 65 kg , bone marrow accounts for approximately 2.6 kg...
transplant. In the hopes of finding a match, bone marrow drives were organized at Yale University and at several locations throughout Canada. Drives held at Yale resulted in more than 1,600 people volunteering as potential donors. Bone marrow drives did not result in a match for Schwartz, but doctors found a suitable donor from umbilical cord blood. In September 2010, Schwartz underwent the transplant in Seattle. Her cancer went into remission after the transplant, but returned again in December 2010. Shortly after this, Schwartz decided to discontinue most forms of treatment. Rather than hoping for a cure, Schwartz continued with palliative
Palliative care
Palliative care is a specialized area of healthcare that focuses on relieving and preventing the suffering of patients...
chemotherapy designed to minimize her symptoms. On April 2, 2011, she entered a Regina hospital and died the following day.
Personal life
Schwartz was the daughter of Rick and Carol Schwartz. Her brothers, JadenJaden Schwartz
Jaden Schwartz is a Canadian ice hockey player for the Colorado College Tigers of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association for the 2010–11 season. He was selected 14th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.-Minor:Schwartz played minor hockey at Athol Murray College of Notre...
and Rylan, both play for the Colorado College
Colorado College
The Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell...
men's ice hockey team. Jaden was a first round draft pick of the St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft
2010 NHL Entry Draft
The 2010 NHL Entry Draft was the 48th NHL Entry Draft, held on June 25–26, 2010 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, home arena of the Los Angeles Kings. This was the first time Los Angeles hosted the NHL Entry Draft. An unofficial record of 11 American-trained players were selected in...
. She was engaged to Kaylem Prefontaine, whom she had met in high school. They had planned to marry in 2012.