ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, May 7, 1996 TAG: 9605070052
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
MEMO: ***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on May 8, 1996.
Radford University provided a photograph of former leukemia patient
and graduate Shelley Heberlein. The photo in Tuesday's New River Current
included an incorrect credit line.
Two years ago, Shelley Heberlein had lapsed into a coma and doctors thought they could do nothing to bring her back. Her grandparents had even chosen a place for her grave.
But on Saturday Heberlein, 25, graduated with honors from Radford University.
In a way, it was her second graduation. While she was still in a three-week coma, two Radford alumni presented her with a graduation certificate as a way of honoring her efforts to earn a degree.
Heberlein woke up shortly after that. Before she could resume her education, though, she had to do a few other things - like learning to walk again.
"Several times, doctors have told me I wouldn't make it, but I trusted God to be with me. My faith is the only reason I'm here. There must be a reason I'm alive, even if it's only that I can help someone else in some small way," she said.
"The only thing I can think is the Lord saved me. He's got a purpose for me."
Heberlein was originally diagnosed with leukemia as a high school student in 1989, in Okinawa where her Army paratrooper father was stationed at the time.
Doctors decided that a complete bone marrow transplant would be needed to save her. As it turned out, her sister, Susan - now 21 and scheduled to graduate from Radford in December - was a perfect bone marrow match.
"If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here. I mean, there's no possible way," Shelley said in an interview following commencement exercises.
"It was a neat experience. It was a privilege and a joy," Susan added. She said her sister's experience had taught her that challenges can be overcome.
Still, to avoid rejection of the transplant, Shelley's bone marrow had to be killed off by chemotherapy and replaced by her sister's. "What they do is they totally annihilate all my bone marrow," Shelley said. Then she had to rest and stay relatively isolated for nearly a year while her immune system built up strength.
After completing some college work at Central Michigan University, Shelley transferred to Radford University because her family had moved to Virginia and she liked its friendly campus. After her transfer, doctors found a cancerous mass under her stomach, and she had a bad reaction to chemotherapy resulting in the coma.
"I don't remember any of it," she said.
She surprised everyone by emerging from the coma, and then worked up to walking and handling herself again.
Despite time off for illness and recovery, Shelley has worked as a campus tour guide and in such organizations as Collegiate Christian Life, the Phi Kappa Phi honor society and Beta Gamma Sigma business society. She graduated magna cum laude.
"To me, it was just such an opportunity to be here that I wanted to do my best," she said.
She said her near-death experience has changed her outlook on life.
"Now I'm not so interested in climbing the corporate ladder," she said. "I'm more interested in happiness and relationships with people. I'm more satisfied with being who I am. ... I'm nicer to people. Little things don't bother me so much anymore."
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: PAUL DELLINGER/Staff. On Saturday former leukemiaby CNBpatient Shelley Heberlein, 25, graduated with honors from Radford
University.