Miracles | Sheryl Roach

Sheryl Roach was born in Virginia to a Navy Dad and Mom. She is the fourth of six children and enjoys a very close, loving relationship with all of her family. Until she was 15 she and her family moved around between homes inVirginia, Illinois, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Her father retired from the Navy and moved to Shreveport, LA where Sheryl lived until she moved to the Alexandria/Pineville area in 1981. In 1981, Sheryl began working for the USDA Forest Service where she is currently employed. She and her husband, David have been married for 28 years and have three sons, John Roach and Robbie and Danny Swanson. Sheryl and David attend Philadelphia Baptist Church in Deville,

In August of 2001 Sheryl Roach was diagnosed with Solitary Plasmacytoma. In March of 2002, Sheryl’s disease had progressed to a diagnosis of Multiple Myloma. Multiple Myloma is a rare form of cancer that only affects about 1 in 100,000 people. She began receiving oral chemotherapy. In May her doctors advised her to have a stem cell transplant. She received an autologous stem cell transplant at MD Anderson in Houston, TX in July. The stem cell transplant was performed as an outpatient procedure, but she developed an infection that caused her to be hospitalized. At that time Mrs. Roach received transfusions of platelets and red cells. Thanks to the generosity of selfless blood donors and modern technology Sheryl’s cancer is considered to be in complete remission!

During Sheryl’s treatment and recovery, her friends, family, and coworkers were able to demonstrate how important she is to them by holding replenishment blood drives at Philadelphia Baptist Church, where the Roachs’ attend church and at USDA Forest Services where Sheryl has been employed for 22 years. Sheryl believes that through the prayers and support of her friends, family and God she is alive and cancer free today. “The blessings that I have received throughout this ordeal are countless.” She counts blood donors and the work of LifeShare Blood Centers as two of those blessings. We would like her to know that our continued prayers and hopes are with her and her family!