Amazing Remission for Father of Four Told He Had Just Hours To Live Twice After a Valentine’s Day Diagnosis

Michael Kaynes, 48, started experiencing flu-like symptoms around the holidays in 2022. However, those symptoms lingered for several weeks, causing him to see a doctor after feeling shortness of breath. Tests and scans helped his doctors pinpoint the culprit: acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

“It was completely out of the blue,” Kaynes told the Independent during an interview.

After his diagnosis, his physician forewarned Kaynes, “There’s no messing around with this; it will be the hardest year of your life,” before beginning treatment. He underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy, which lasted for several weeks. During chemo, Kaynes developed ulcers and a fungal and perineal abscess infection, including sepsis. The complications Kaynes experienced during treatment were daunting.

“One of the consultants came in and said, “I’ve got to tell you, we reckon you’ve only got 24 hours if these antibiotics don’t kick in, and then there’s nothing more we can do,” Kaynes said.

The father of four desperately said, “I don’t care what you do, I don’t care how you do it, I don’t care if you want to run trials, just do whatever will kick it down the road the longest,” Kaynes said.

Once the infection was under control, Kaynes also needed a bone marrow transplant.

A stem cell transplant is a treatment option for AML. After a high dose of chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant gives the patient healthy cells to replace the ones that chemotherapy may have killed.

WATCH: What to Expect After a Stem Cell Transplant

Finding a bone marrow transplant donor took a while, but around Father’s Day last year, Kaynes received joyous news when a donor was identified. In August 2023, he underwent a successful transplant with minimal complications to put the cancer in remission.

“I just feel incredibly lucky that I got here…and with the donor, it’s such an amazing thing that someone can do. That person has changed not just my life but the kids’ lives and (his wife) Donna’s life,” Kaynes said.

Understanding Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia is a fast-growing blood cancer that begins in the bone marrow, the factory that makes white and red blood cells and platelets.

Within the bone marrow are stem cells that eventually develop into white blood cells (WBCs), red blood cells (RBCs), and platelets, which help blood clot.

Stem cells can copy themselves to make progenitor cells or precursor cells. Myeloid progenitor cells turn into red blood cells, granulocytes (a type of white blood cell), and platelets. AML affects the myeloid progenitor cells during a stage of development when they are called myeloblasts.

With AML, myeloblasts fail to turn into fully developed blood cells, leaving them to build up in the bone marrow and blood.

WATCH: An AML Diagnosis What are the Next Steps?

AML is diagnosed by extracting samples of liquid bone marrow and a chip of bone from the back of the hip. The samples are then tested to determine if blood cells in the bone marrow are abnormal.

Dr. Gail Roboz, an AML expert and medical oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine, says, “The majority of patients have this sporadically out of the clear blue sky.”

Symptoms for acute myeloid leukemia can include:

• Flu-like symptoms
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Loss of appetite

AML causes certain symptoms, but having these symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean you have AML. Your doctor will do diagnostic tests to confirm whether you have AML before recommending a treatment.

Your doctor will then perform tests to diagnose you, and those tests include:

• Blood tests. In people with AML, white blood cell counts may be high, and red blood cell and platelet counts may be low. These tests can also show immature cells in the blood that should only be found in the bone marrow.
• Bone marrow biopsy. Removing and testing a bone marrow sample helps confirm  AML after an abnormal blood test result.
• Lumbar puncture. This test uses a sample of spinal fluid to diagnose AML.
• Molecular and genetic testing. Your doctor can do tests to determine whether you have certain genes related to AML and if your cancer might respond to specialized treatments.

Treating AML

For people deemed healthy enough, induction therapy is the standard treatment for AML. The process involves a seven-day chemotherapy regimen, followed by several weeks of recovery. The goal of this high dose of chemo is to induce remission.

WATCH: More on AML Treatment Options

A stem cell transplant is another option for treating AML, as Winsor opted to pursue. After a high dose of chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant gives the patient healthy cells to replace the ones that chemotherapy may have killed.

After chemo and a transplant, the recovery process can be difficult for the patient because the immune system will be compromised. Finding a genetic match in a donor may also be an arduous process.

Clinical trials may offer treatment options. Ask your doctor if any therapies under investigation might be appropriate for you.

The effects of leukemia treatment are very individualized. Treatment may get rid of all leukemia cells for some people, while others will have to remain on chemotherapy long-term to control their cancer. Expect to have follow-up exams after treatment, usually every month to begin with and then at longer intervals.

Even though AML cancer warriors may complete treatment, there is always the chance of a relapse. The timing of the relapse plays a significant role in which treatment route your doctor will advise.

“Unfortunately for many patients with AML, their disease will come back, and we call that a disease relapse,” says Dr. Tara Lin, director of the Acute Leukemia Program at the University of Kansas Medical Center.

“It’s really important that when a patient has a relapse of their disease, they see someone who has a lot of experience in treating AML.”

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