\u201cIt\u2019s awesome just to see them survive, thrive and flourish,\u201d Bowman said. \u201cI\u2019ve been to quite a few weddings. And I\u2019ve been to a few funerals, too, because these diseases are not universally curable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Seeing Fabian again was special, given the lack of communication between the two over several decades, Bowman said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And for Fabian, the reunion was a full circle moment. As she sought to support others going through the leukemia journey, she found the person who guided her through hers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wouldn\u2019t be here today if it wasn\u2019t for him,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Leading the line<\/p>\n
Fabian was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia when treatments were steadily improving thanks to clinical trials at the time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the 1970s, five-year survival rates hovered at about 57%, according to the National Institutes of Health<\/a>. By the time Fabian started treatment, the rate was closer to 75%, Bowman said.<\/p>\n Part of that increase is due to clinical trials conducted for children with acute lymphocytic leukemia by Cook Children\u2019s alongside UT Southwestern. The trial of about 230 kids examined different medications and chemotherapy, testing their efficacy on an outpatient basis while not using radiation as a primary course of therapy, due to some dire side effects for children noted by Bowman.<\/p>\n Bowman, who then served as medical director of the hematology and oncology department at Cook Children\u2019s, said those trials \u2014 from 1986 to 1990 \u2014 were part of the domino effect that led to refined treatment with higher survival rates.\u00a0<\/p>\n He noted that further improvements came from ongoing national trials and Cook Children\u2019s close collaboration with St. Jude Children\u2019s Research Hospital, a leader in acute lymphocytic leukemia research.<\/p>\n Recent estimates have five-year rates of survival for the blood cancer at over 90%, according to the National Cancer Institute<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cEven though the outlook has improved tremendously, the research continues to try to find the right balance and which pathway is optimal,\u201d Bowman said.<\/p>\n Fabian has numerous recollections of her nearly three years undergoing treatment despite her being a toddler.<\/p>\n Vivid memories include spinal taps and chemotherapy appointments. She remembers staying at the Ronald McDonald House Fort Worth<\/a> for weeks on end while going through treatment. \u201cIt was almost like a second home to me,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n What Fabian remembers most are the car rides to and from Fort Worth. The drives to Cook Children\u2019s were fun, she noted, but the drives home to Abilene were difficult post-chemotherapy.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a lot, but I\u2019m here today. Going on almost 40 years of remission,\u201d Fabian said.<\/p>\n A full circle moment<\/p>\n Reconnecting with Bowman pushed Fabian to get involved in supporting others with blood cancer. But her daughter\u2019s journey also inspired that push.<\/p>\n Danielle Gonzalez<\/a> was diagnosed with another form of blood cancer \u2014 Non-Hodgkin lymphoma \u2014 in 2019. Now in remission, Fabian said her daughter is fully committed to helping others on similar journeys and attends cancer camp regularly.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s developed a niche where she\u2019s like a sisterly type figure,\u201d Fabian said. \u201cIf they\u2019re not feeling good, if they hurt themselves, if they don\u2019t feel as comfortable, if they\u2019re shy, she\u2019s developed ways to be able to get those kids to open up.\u201d<\/p>\n Seeing her daughter go through treatment felt like deja vu for Fabian. She noted that five of the seven medications that Danielle took regularly were the same ones Bowman prescribed over 30 years ago.<\/p>\n Another connection between Bowman and Fabian\u2019s daughter was Danielle\u2019s oncologist.<\/p>\n \u201cI brought (Bowman\u2019s) name up to her, and she said he is basically the founding father of the way they treat a lot of patients,\u201d Fabian said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Find out more about this year\u2019s Beat Leukemia Ball here<\/a>.<\/p>\n That title is fitting. After retiring from practice in 2021, Bowman continues working on blood cancer awareness throughout the state.<\/p>\n Bowman and his wife now serve as board co-chairs for Leukemia Texas. He was instrumental in bringing the Beat Leukemia Ball to Fort Worth. The annual fundraiser to beat leukemia<\/a>, the nonprofit\u2019s signature campaign, takes place June 5.<\/p>\n Bowman stays involved with the work to support patients directly navigating the difficulties of cancer treatment.<\/p>\n \u201cI was at it for a long time, and you never get tired of it. But some aspects, you\u2019ve got to relook at how you balance your life,\u201d Bowman said. \u201cBut we saw an opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n The Fort Worth pediatric oncologist\u2019s effect on research and treatment reverberates beyond Leukemia Texas. Through the Lois and W. Paul Bowman, M.D., Leukemia Program Endowment, he supports education for research.<\/p>\n Their endowment is set to support the 2026 Leukemia Symposium<\/a> at Cook Children\u2019s later this year, a three-day event bringing together experts to share and present their work.<\/p>\n But Bowman\u2019s smaller effects are also worth highlighting. Fabian said Danielle is planning on becoming an oncologist.<\/p>\n \u201cHe saved my life,\u201d Fabian said. \u201cAnd in a way, he saved my daughter\u2019s life, too, because of the advancements that he was able to do with the different kinds of chemotherapy and treatments.\u201d<\/p>\n Ismael M. Belkoura is the health reporter for the Fort Worth Report. His position is supported by a grant from Texas Health Resources. Contact him at ismael.belkoura@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image0.jpeg\")
Rosinella Fabian, left, sits next to her brother. The photo was taken during cancer treatment that started when she was 4. (Courtesy | Rosinella Fabian)<\/p>\n![\"(Maria](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0318-LeukemiaReunion-MC-01-2-1024x683.jpg\")
Dr. W. Paul Bowman and Rosinella Fabian reunite in Fort Worth on March 18, 2026. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report\/CatchLight Local\/Report for America) <\/p>\n