From Megan Deeter
February 24, 2026
A Lifetime of Challenges, a Community of Support
For Georgia Schroer, life has been a journey marked by resilience, deep faith, and an unwavering belief that every challenge has purpose. Now in her early 70s, Georgia has lived through more medical hurdles than most experience in a lifetime, including lupus, chronic kidney disease, diabetic complications, and long-standing issues with dangerously low platelets. But through it all, one thing has remained constant: her determination to keep moving forward and to uplift everyone she meets along the way.
Her journey with low platelets, which was ultimately diagnosed as chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), began years ago while living in California. After a bone marrow biopsy and an initial course of Rituxan, her platelets briefly stabilized. But when she moved to Ohio, her symptoms began to intensify once again. “I know my body,” she says. “When I saw my platelets dropping, I told my doctor: I need a blood doctor. I need someone who can fix this.”
That decision led her to OHC, where she met medical oncologist and hematologist Evan Z. Lang, MD, MS, a turning point in her care and in her life.
A New Beginning at OHC
From her very first appointment with Dr. Lang, Georgia felt something she hadn’t experienced in many medical settings: genuine, attentive listening.
She recalls that initial visit clearly. “Dr. Lang is amazing,” she says. “He did a bone marrow biopsy right in the office just to be sure we understood what was going on. And when I told him something felt wrong, he listened. That means everything.”
Dr. Lang remembers that day, too. “Georgia’s case is somewhat challenging,” he explains. “Severe thrombocytopenia combined with her lupus, diabetes, and kidney disease requires careful, coordinated management. But from the first visit, her positive energy stood out. She approaches every step with trust and an incredible spirit.”
Her platelets continued to fluctuate, occasionally dropping to extremely dangerous levels. Twice, her count reached zero; at that moment, her OHC nurses insisted she go immediately to the hospital. Georgia laughs, retelling the story, joking that she initially resisted because she “had to go to work,” but she trusted her care team and followed their urgent recommendation.
To stabilize her condition, Dr. Lang adjusted her treatment plan: weekly injections, periodic Rituxan infusions, and close monitoring. It worked. Her platelets slowly climbed, eventually holding steady above 50, an important and safe threshold for someone with chronic ITP.
“Her stability has been hard won,” Dr. Lang adds. “But she does the work, shows up every week, and maintains a level of optimism that many physicians dream of in a patient.”
A Second Home at OHC
Georgia’s weekly visits to OHC’s Fairfield office have become more than medical appointments; they’ve become a cherished ritual and a source of community.
“I go every Friday morning. Everyone knows my name,” she says with a smile. “They’re like family. I tell people: ‘It’s my home away from home.’”
Whether she’s there for a quick shot or a four‑hour Rituxan infusion, she feels safe, supported, and surrounded by people who genuinely care about her well‑being.
She laughs as she talks about Teresa, who Georgia nicknamed the ‘Vein Whisperer’, who effortlessly finds the perfect vein, even when others struggle. She proudly recalls joining in a patient-made snowflake display in the lobby: “None of them were alike, just like all of us. And it was beautiful.”
These small moments matter. They transform a long-term medical journey into something manageable, even meaningful.
“The nurses at OHC are heroes,” Georgia says. “They love their patients, and you can feel it. They make you comfortable, they encourage you, and they treat you like a whole person, not just a diagnosis.”
Her care team spans disciplines, including oncology, nephrology, and rheumatology, and she deeply appreciates how well they coordinate. Even her lupus treatment aligned with her hematology care, allowing Rituxan to address both conditions at once.
Living with Purpose
Georgia continues to work two jobs, a full-time role at the YMCA welcome desk and a part-time job at her residence’s café. She never expected to be so active at her age, and she credits God, her care team, and her community for keeping her strong.
She speaks openly and joyfully about her faith, not as a doctrine, but as a source of courage.
“I believe God puts me exactly where I’m supposed to be,” she explains. “Sometimes I think He put me at OHC not just for me, but to help other patients who are scared. I talk with them, I reassure them, I tell them, ‘You’re in the best place you could be.’”
That advocacy extends beyond the clinic. When a neighbor in her apartment building quietly revealed she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, Georgia immediately offered comfort and guidance. “I told her, ‘You don’t have to worry, you’re in the best hands.’”
Care That Listens
For Georgia, the defining element of her OHC experience is how deeply the providers listen.
She recalls years of managing multiple diagnoses, often feeling unheard or dismissed in other medical settings. But at OHC, she says, “They know I understand my body. They respect that. They listen.”
It’s a sentiment that aligns with OHC’s mission: patient-centered care that acknowledges the whole person, not just the disease.
An Unshakeable Spirit
Georgia says she doesn’t get depressed. She gets determined.
Between the lupus, the kidney biopsy, the dialysis, the bone marrow procedures, and platelets swinging down to zero, she has carried a steady sense of purpose through it all.
“I refuse to believe I’m sick,” she says with a smile. “I stay busy, I stay around people, and I let God lead me. I’ve been blessed with another chance at life, and I want to share that hope with others.”
Her OHC care team sees that spirit every week.
Sarah Mancini, MSN, APRN, AGPCNP, OHC advanced practice provider, shared, “When Georgia walks in, the whole room brightens. She encourages others without even realizing she’s doing it.”
A Message of Hope
Georgia’s story is a testament to what’s possible when expert medical care, compassionate support, and a determined patient come together.
Through weekly treatments, long-term monitoring, and the steady guidance of Dr. Lang and the Fairfield nursing staff, Georgia has regained stability, confidence, and a sense of home within the clinic’s walls.
She puts it best: “If this is what I have to do for the rest of my life, I’m okay with that. Because I’m in the right place, with the right people, and I’m still here. I’m still living.”
Her journey offers inspiration for anyone navigating a chronic illness: that hope can be found in the hardest moments, strength can be found through community, and sometimes the most healing places are where everyone knows your name.
