Heather Viscito had noticed her symptoms for a while, but as a busy mom to three kids, she figured she was just tired.
“It was November of 2022. I’d joined a gym and was working out every day. I’d lost some weight, but after a month or so, I was really fatigued. I wasn’t getting stronger and getting through the workouts was getting harder, not easier,” Heather said. “I was 45 years old, so I figured some of what I was feeling might be related to menopause.”
A month later, she could barely make it up the stairs inside her home in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
“That’s when the bruises started,” she said. “I started getting these unexplained bruises. I wasn’t sure what was happening.
After seeing her local doctor, Heather was referred to the Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center in Fargo for further testing.
A short time later, she received the devasting news. Heather was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer of the bone marrow that can progress quickly.
It was the beginning of a grueling and heartbreaking journey during which Heather was forced to spend months away from her family. But through it all, she never walked alone thanks to world-class care and programs fueled by philanthropy.
Now, she’s sharing her story to raise awareness and inspire support for others who will navigate a cancer journey far from home.
The Journey Begins
“Once we had the diagnosis, everything happened very quickly,” Heather said.
She was admitted to Roger Maris in February 2023 and stayed for 33 days while receiving chemotherapy treatments under the direction of Dr. Seth Maliske.
From there, she was able to return home to Grand Forks and continue chemotherapy as an outpatient.
“By June I was in remission,” she said. “We were so hopeful.”
But those hopes were dashed after a bone marrow biopsy in August revealed the cancer had returned.
“They said I would need a bone marrow transplant and that I needed it as soon as possible,” Heather said.
Her brother, Joe, was tested and volunteered to donate his bone marrow to help Heather. He made the trip from his home in New Jersey to Fargo and stayed for several weeks for pre- and post-transplant preparation and care.
Day Zero to Day 100
Heather said preparing for her bone marrow transplant — often referred to as “Day Zero” in a transplant journey — was an emotional process.
“The transplant was scheduled for mid-November. I had to stay in the hospital for a week before for a major dose of chemotherapy. Then, after the transplant, I had to stay in the hospital for a few more weeks,” she recalled.
After her discharge from the hospital, Heather then needed to remain near the Roger Maris campus with a full-time caregiver until “Day 100” — 100 days after her transplant — for outpatient care and monitoring.
“That was a big emotional shock. We had three kids at home, ages 11, 13 and 15 who needed me. My husband is a physician who practices in Grafton, about 45 minutes away from where we live in Grand Forks. It was a lot to take in,” Heather said.
The transplant went well, but navigating the post-transplant journey was “an uphill climb,” Heather recalled. “We ended up renting a house in Fargo that was near the hospital. We mapped out a plan for family and friends to stay with me until ‘Day 100.’”
Her recovery was going well until shortly before Christmas when she developed a serious infection and was re-admitted to the hospital. She eventually recovered and was able to return to her home in Grand Forks in February 2024.
In May, she got the news she and her family had been waiting for: “I found out I was cancer free and in remission.”
Today, Heather is healthy, optimistic and grateful for the lifesaving care and support she received, so much of which was fueled by philanthropy — from state-of-the-art equipment to programs like nurse navigation and so much more.
“Everyone was so awesome. They were so understanding and patient with me. They all went above and beyond their job descriptions,” she said. “They took the time to talk with me and ask me how I was doing. They made me feel like family.”
“They told me, ‘We’ve got you. We’re going to take care of you no matter what.’ They told me I’d have good days and bad days, but that they were going to be there for me the entire time. They walked with me the entire way.”
“Now, when I’m in Fargo for tests and check-ups, I always stop in and visit the staff who cared for me.”
Sharing Her Story
Today, Heather is sharing her cancer journey to help raise awareness and inspire support for current and future cancer patients and families — many of whom travel more than 60 miles to visit Roger Maris for the most advanced cancer care available, including the latest lifesaving treatment options offered through the state’s only Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant program.
For patients who are far from home, a cancer journey can be especially difficult. For blood and bone marrow transplant patients like Heather, it can be especially challenging.
A new project aims to make it easier.
The Peltier Lodge, our new center for patient lodging, will be located near the campus of Roger Maris. The facility will serve as a home away from home for cancer patients and their loved ones, extending the standard of excellence offered at Roger Maris today to every step of the cancer journey — from diagnosis through treatment to recovery.
For Heather, a patient lodging facility would have been a game-changer. “It would have alleviated so much stress,” she said.
As she looks ahead to a new year, Heather hopes her story will motivate others to focus on their own health and well-being.
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Take time to pay attention to your health. It’s so easy to put your health on the back burner when you’re busy with work or taking care of others. I would tell people to not ignore any symptoms. Get checked out so if there is anything, it can be caught early.
Give for Hope
If you’re inspired by this story and want to support our work to advance cancer care, make a gift today. 100% of your gift will support the Peltier Lodge, a state-of-the-art lodging facility designed to provide patients and their families with a home away from home during treatment and throughout their outpatient care and monitoring.