Support Alyssa’s Health Journey: Stem Cell Transplant

Meet Alyssa: My Best Friend

Hi, my name is Sydnie Bolinger, and I’m Alyssa’s best friend.

We met in high school while playing softball together. Alyssa has always been one of the kindest, most genuine people I know — the kind of person who lights up a room just by being in it. Over the years, she’s become like a sister to me. Every memory I have with Alyssa is filled with joy, laughter, and a warmth that’s hard to put into words. Whether we were crafting, on a late-night drive, or off on a spontaneous adventure, she's the kind of friend who makes even the smallest moments feel meaningful.

That’s what makes it so hard to see someone so full of life and love enduring such a long and painful medical journey.

Alyssa’s Medical Journey

It all began in 2015 when Alyssa started experiencing random inflammation in her body. After testing, it was revealed that her liver enzymes were extremely high. This marked the beginning of a long and difficult journey filled with endless doctor appointments, blood tests, and biopsies. In 2016, she was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), which led to a cycle of slow and steady follow-ups and medication.

By June 2021, right after high school graduation, Alyssa and her family started noticing that she was looking a little jaundiced, and off to the ER they went. Starting a crazy, almost four-year rollercoaster. She was hospitalized multiple times that summer, suffering from pain, fatigue, and a host of other symptoms. After several tests, doctors diagnosed her with Cold Agglutinin Disease, which affected her blood. With medications, she started feeling a little better, and she went off to Chico State University.

However, in November 2021, her health took another turn. She noticed her jaundice was worsening, and she just didn’t feel right. She admitted herself to the ER near campus, where the doctors ran tests, showing her hemoglobin had significantly dropped, and her bloodwork was all over the place. While Alyssa was in the hospital, she and her family had a virtual consultation with a second opinion. It was suggested that she come in for an inpatient workup at CHLA. A week later, Alyssa was in LA for more bloodwork, tests, and consults with lots of doctors. Alyssa’s case is complex, not straightforward, and blurs lots of lines. It requires a team of doctors across various specialties, including hematology, immunology, cardiology, GI, and pulmonology. After much evaluation, she was diagnosed with Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia and Evans Syndrome, immune deregulation, Autoimmune Hepatitis, and Pulmonary Hypertension. Despite these challenges, Alyssa was determined to continue college. In December 2021, her doctor advised her to come home after she got sick again; she was too immune-compromised to be in that type of environment. After making the tough decision to leave college, she enrolled in online classes at Saddleback College, focusing on her health while trying to continue her education. While Alyssa’s liver was doing okay, her blood and immune system were not, and her breathing was getting worse. This marked the beginning of frequent hospital stays, new medications, and endless blood work.

A Decline in Health

In February 2024, Alyssa’s condition took a turn for the worse. She developed pancreatitis, which led to sepsis. During that hospitalization, doctors revealed that her liver might be contributing to her breathing issues; a month prior, she was diagnosed with Portal Hypertension and Hepatopulmonary Syndrome- a rare complication affecting only a small percentage of people with liver disease: causing the capillaries in the lungs to expand, making it harder for oxygen to transfer into the bloodstream, which results in low oxygen levels. During this time, Alyssa's team of doctors felt it was time to consider going through the liver transplant evaluation.

In April 2024, Alyssa’s family decided to transfer her care to UCLA Medical Center, known for its excellence in liver transplants. After undergoing their extensive evaluation process, the doctors determined that while Alyssa did not yet need a transplant, she would likely need one in the near future. By September 2024, Alyssa was officially placed on the liver transplant list, though her journey was far from over.

Escalating Health Challenges

From October to December 2024, Alyssa was admitted to the hospital five times, each stay revealing new complications. Her blood levels continued to deteriorate, and she needed frequent red blood cell and platelet transfusions. Alyssa and her family spent Christmas in the hospital, due to her illnesses, and the doctors needed to perform a bone marrow biopsy to determine what was not functioning correctly.

By the start of January 2025, she was back in the hospital, since she had started coughing up blood throughout the night. 10 days later, after having an infection and mild sepsis, her spleen was removed in hopes of improving her red blood, platelets, and white blood counts. Unfortunately, this did not solve the problem. At this time, the focus shifted to solving the blood complications, and once that was improved, they would refocus on the liver to help her breathing. During this month, she had a few more hospital stays with infections, follow-ups, and twice-weekly transfusions, and lots more blood work/tests.

In February 2025, Alyssa’s doctors diagnosed her with Aplastic Anemia, a condition in which the bone marrow fails to produce enough blood cells. In March 2025, she had more tests, two more hospital stays, the start of ATG treatments, and three transfusions a week. In April 2025, more tests, genetic testing, and team meetings, and she was diagnosed with Severe Aplastic Anemia. With her health worsening, her doctors began preparations for a stem cell transplant. As of May 2025, Alyssa is facing one of the most challenging stages of her journey. Her next hospital stay will be for a month, during which she will undergo chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant, and the critical recovery process that follows. Afterward, her family will need to stay near the hospital for 100 days to support her during this crucial time.

How you can support Alyssa and her family:

Since the age of 10, Alyssa has faced more than most people do in a lifetime — battling autoimmune diseases, countless hospital stays, and now preparing for a life-saving stem cell transplant. Through it all, she’s shown more grace, bravery, and resilience than I can put into words. I’ve watched her endure every setback with strength most of us can’t imagine.

She deserves the chance to live her life — to go back to school, chase her dreams, and feel like a normal 21-year-old again.

But the road ahead is long. This next chapter includes high-dose chemotherapy, a month-long hospital stay, and 100 days of recovery near UCLA— a time when her family must be by her side every step of the way. As you can imagine, the emotional and financial toll is overwhelming.

Over the years, the costs of missed work, frequent hospital stays, daily travel, and uncovered medical expenses have steadily built up. Now, with the most intensive and critical phase of her treatment ahead, we’re hoping to raise $40,000 to help cover:

This is something no family should have to face — and especially not alone. They need a village.

If you’re able to donate, no matter how small, it truly makes a difference in Alyssa’s journey. And if you can’t give right now, please consider sharing this — your voice helps more than you know.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for supporting my best friend. Your love, prayers, and generosity mean everything.

With endless gratitude,

Sydnie Bolinger