Oct 21, 2026 · 36 min
A sister’s stem-cell donation brings a volleyball player back
Saving Your Sister’s Life with Kendall and Elle Schara
Kendall Schara’s leukemia diagnosis forced two college athletes to confront treatment, fertility, family, and an uncertain future in sport.
- 1Kendall Schara’s acute myeloid leukemia diagnosis abruptly disrupted her athletic, academic, and professional plans.
- 2Elle Schara became Kendall’s perfect-match stem-cell donor, turning a family crisis into a life-saving act of sibling solidarity.
- 3Treatment changed Kendall’s body and ambitions, but returning to volleyball helped her rebuild a different version of her future.
Don't miss
Elle explains learning she was a perfect match and choosing without hesitation to undergo the stem-cell donation for Kendall.
The brief
Kendall Schara was a graduate student and college volleyball player when infections, migraines, and abnormal blood counts led to an unexpected acute myeloid leukemia diagnosis.
The diagnosis forced Kendall to pause her athletic and professional plans, transfer rapidly to Northwestern Medicine, and choose a clinical trial alongside chemotherapy.
Elle Schara learned she was a perfect stem-cell match and never hesitated to donate, while both sisters describe the transplant as an emotional turning point.
Treatment brought severe complications and fertility-preservation decisions, leaving Kendall to adjust to a changed body and the uncertainty of life after hospitalization.
Kendall eventually returned to campus and volleyball, but recovery also changed her goals, priorities, and understanding of the ordinary opportunities she once took for granted.
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