Martin Townsend: Surviving Leukemia and Finding Purpose Through Research

When 34-year-old Martin Townsend of Birmingham, Alabama, looks back on his journey with leukemia, he sees a story of science, perseverance, and faith. Today, Martin works in information technology and spends his free time immersed in photography, gaming, and playing guitar—creative outlets that remind him how far he’s come.

Martin’s story began in March 2011, during his sophomore year at the University of Alabama. After weeks of feeling unusually fatigued, he visited the student health center, where blood tests revealed abnormal results. He was referred to Druid City Hospital in Tuscaloosa and then to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Hospital, where further testing confirmed the diagnosis—biphenotypic acute leukemia, a rare and aggressive form that shares characteristics of both acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia.

At just 19 years old, Martin faced an uncertain future. “Getting the confirmation at UAB, that’s when I really got emotional about it because it started to hit home that I was in the hospital,” he recalled. “Initially [the doctors] said that they thought it was going to just be acute lymphoblastic leukemia, but it ended up being a bit more complex than that.”

Martin’s mother, Virgie, drove from Birmingham to be by his side. “When he told me, ‘Mom, I have cancer,’ I knew I had to be strong for him,” she said. “I just went into mama bear mode and told myself, it’s going to be all right—whatever it is, we are going to get through it.” Martin was hospitalized for about 40 days for induction therapy and followed a pediatric chemotherapy protocol, which offered a better chance of remission. By day 39, he was in remission. Given the high risk of recurrence, Martin remained on chemotherapy for the next three and a half years, often spending long hours at the clinic. “It became like a full-time job,” he said.

After completing treatment, Martin enjoyed about 9 months of normalcy before learning in March 2015 that the leukemia had returned. The relapse was devastating for both mother and son. “It took me about 2 weeks to really get in that state of mind where I said, ‘Okay, we’ve got this again. We are going to get through it again,’” Virgie recalled.

“Things seemed hopeless for a short period after four weeks of conventional chemotherapy failed to get Martin back in remission. Then Martin’s oncologist recommended we turn to Blincyto,” recalled Virgie. Blinatumomab (Blincyto), is an immunotherapeutic that had been approved by the FDA just a few months earlier. The first infusion was difficult, but after doctors adjusted his medications, he tolerated the treatment well. “It was a brand-new drug—they were just beginning to use it, and Martin was one of the first patients they gave it to. They didn’t know how well it would work, but it worked for him,” Virgie recalled.

Martin achieved remission again, paving the way for a bone marrow transplant using cells from his father. Recovery brought new challenges, including a serious complication called graft-versus-host disease in which the transplanted immune cells attacked his body, causing severe itching and skin irritation. Doctors treated it successfully with photopheresis, a process that uses light to modify immune cells and reduce inflammation.

Nearly a decade later, Martin remains cancer-free and now sees his oncologists once a year. “I’m doing really well,” he said. “The visits are pretty boring now—and that’s a good thing.” His experience deepened his appreciation for research: “Funding for cancer research is really integral to why I’m still here,” he said. “It’s about giving people a second chance at life.”