As a physician, Ricky was familiar with post-treatment care requirements, but he’d never been in the position of caring for a loved one himself. When his wife Celeste was diagnosed with an aggressive form of large B-cell lymphoma, their world shifted overnight.

Between the whirlwind of appointments, navigating treatment options and the emotional toll of watching someone you love fight for her life, Ricky found himself in the position as family caregiver.

“Celeste is a warrior. She’s one of the strongest people I know. What she’s been through and the way she handled it is just amazing,” says Ricky.

When Celeste’s cancer didn’t respond to initial lines of treatment, her care team recommended CAR T-cell therapy — an individualized, one-time treatment for certain blood cancers.

But there was a catch to proceeding with treatment: it’s a class-wide regulatory requirement for all CAR T products that someone is with the patient 24/7 for several weeks after the infusion.

That someone was Ricky, by her side caring for her needs and watching for complications after she received CAR T. He did this all while also managing the children’s schedules and household duties.

“When I learned that the cancer was gone, the heaviness on my shoulders was gone. It was amazing,” recalls Celeste.

Ricky and Celeste’s story is not unique. According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, 63 million Americans—1 in 4 adults—are caregivers for loved ones facing serious illness. Many shoulder immense emotional and financial burdens. And in the case of CAR T-cell therapy, their presence means the difference between access to the treatment or exclusion.

“Caregivers are critical to the delivery of high-quality, timely cancer care,” says Dr. Arif Kamal, Chief Patient Officer at the American Cancer Society. Especially in blood cancers, we know that access to CAR T must be improved across people who can benefit. For many, caregiving is a key barrier.”

At Gilead and Kite, we’re working alongside organizations like the American Cancer Society, Cancer Support Community, HEAL Collaborative, the National Alliance for Caregiving and many other patient and professional organizations to help ensure no patient living with blood cancer is denied a potentially life-saving treatment because they lack a caregiver.

Watch the video to learn more.