A New Lease of Life After Lymphoblastic Lymphoma Treatment at Stephenson Cancer Center

OU Health, the University of Oklahoma’s academic health system, exists to do what no one else in the state can do — unite world-class patient care, breakthrough research, and the education of future leaders into one unstoppable force. This is where healing and discovery walk side by side, and where stories like Gage Bullard’s remind us why we’re never done and never outdone.

In February 2017, Gage was 18 and in the second semester of his senior year in high school. At the start of football season, he began experiencing unusual abdominal pain which continued for a month. After a doctor’s visit and a series of tests, Gage was diagnosed with lymphoblastic lymphoma, a rare form of cancer. He needed to start treatment immediately.

Everything in Gage’s life changed in that moment.

“I was planning on going to college in Kansas City and then doing mission work overseas,” Gage shared. “So that was my end goal. And then when I was diagnosed, I didn't even know if I would be able to go to college."

What is Lymphoblastic Lymphoma?

Lymphoblastic lymphoma is a rare and fast-growing cancer that starts in a type of white blood cell called a lymphoblast. These immature cells normally help fight infection. In this disease, the cells grow out of control and form tumors, usually in the chest or lymph nodes. It mostly affects children, teens, and young adults, and is closely related to a type of leukemia.

Treatment usually includes a combination of therapies designed to kill cancer cells and prevent the disease from coming back. These may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, stem cell or bone marrow transplant, and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T-cell) therapy.

Breakthrough Care and Cancer Treatment

Gage started treatment at OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center. As the state’s only academic health system, care means more than treatment — it means discovery applied in real time.

Gage’s intensive chemotherapy was delivered twice a week over a six-month period. It was a difficult time for Gage who lost his hair and felt so sick, his only goal was survival.

But through it all, his support system and faith in God got him through.

“My family helped with everything — mainly my mom,” Gage said. “The staff at Stephenson Cancer Center is the best and I made so many friends and got to see them a lot.”

After Gage finished six months of intensive chemotherapy treatments, he started three years of maintenance chemotherapy. He was also able to start studying at Oklahoma Baptist University — something that he thought would never happen.

Gage graduated summa cum laude, and now, at 27, he is married with three children. His life is full and happy, and he is thriving.

“It was a crazy experience but one I would not trade for the world,” Gage said. “God completely redirected my life and sustained me, and I would not be the man, husband or father I am today without having gone through this cancer journey. I am so grateful for this life I have been given and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t count myself the luckiest man alive.”

Gage’s experience at Stephenson Cancer Center epitomizes OU Health’s commitment to heal Oklahoma, one breakthrough at a time, one patient at a time. Healing is never finished. Discovery is never final. For every patient like Gage — a husband and father whose life is priceless — and for every community across Oklahoma, we will keep pushing forward.

Comprehensive and Compassionate Cancer Care Close to Home

At OU Health, we are never done, never outdone. We are advancing the fight against cancer on every front. As Oklahoma’s only National Cancer Institute–Designated Cancer Center, Stephenson Cancer Center drives discovery through groundbreaking clinical trials and translational research that bring tomorrow’s treatments to patients today. We train and inspire the next generation of oncologists, surgeons, scientists, and nurses through nationally recognized education programs, ensuring the future of cancer care is stronger than ever. And we deliver compassionate, comprehensive patient care — from prevention and screening to the most complex therapies — all in one place, close to home. Research. Education. Patient care. This tripartite mission fuels us, defines us, and keeps us moving forward.

Learn More About Academic Health in Oklahoma

Want to explore our clinical care, education, and research missions? Discover how OU Health, the University of Oklahoma’s academic health system, is transforming health outcomes across all 77 counties in Oklahoma and beyond.