Victoria “Vicky” Searls Traylor fought a courageous battle against Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) after being diagnosed in 2024. This disease was known to her, as she had previously witnessed her mother, Rose Mrakovich Searls, be diagnosed and battle MDS. Unfortunately, her mother could not receive cancer treatment due to her age and other health factors and passed on April 7, 2017.
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Pictured: Victoria (right) and her mother, Rose (left)
Having experienced this loss, Vicky chose VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center for treatment due to the hospital’s positive reputation for pioneering cancer research and innovative treatment. Her medical team tried a variety of treatments, which provided her with short-term gains but did not improve her long-term overall outlook. This led to her medical team recommending a stem cell transplant, as this was her only remaining option to potentially cure her MDS. She knew the risks associated with this treatment but viewed it as a second chance to continue to live life to the fullest with her family and friends.
In the Spring of 2025, she underwent chemotherapy and received her transplant. The transplant initially appeared to be a success, and she returned home. A short time later, her health declined, she would be readmitted into VCU, and would later be diagnosed with several complications to include an initial graft failure, disseminated mucormycosis, and later Graft vs. Host Disease (GvHD). Despite the odds being against her, she wanted to keep fighting and continue treatment. She did this while maintaining a level of selflessness throughout the process by showing care and concern for those around her while she was going through so much. Her family and medical team authorized, utilized, and explored every plausible option, but the combination of these conditions would be too much for her to overcome, and led to her passing on July 29, 2025.
Vicky was known by family and friends for her beauty, creativity, dedication, grace, generosity, passion, service, strength, and many talents.
She spent a significant portion of her life working in public and community service, giving back to others by using her creativity and talents to make the impossible become possible. Service was a key pillar of her life and was evident in her contributions to her community, family, and public service. She worked for the Commonwealth of Virginia for twenty-one years in different roles for Legislative Services, the Virginia State Library, and as a legal analyst for the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR). After retiring from the Commonwealth of Virginia, she was called to a new form of service and would serve as the Business Manager for Shady Grove United Methodist Church in Mechanicsville, VA, for thirteen years until her health declined in the Summer of 2025. While she held many titles in her professional and volunteer capacities, her dedication to her family and friends was what she cherished the most. Everything she did in life showed an incredible level of attention to detail, creativity, enthusiasm, and determination.
Pictured: Victoria (left) and her son, Thomas (right)
In honor of his mother and her battle with MDS, Thomas J. Kohlbeck (VCU ‘08) established the Victoria Searls Traylor Fellowship for Research and Innovation in Hematological and Infectious Diseases, an eight-week summer fellowship that provides graduate students with the opportunity to obtain hands-on experience in hematologic malignancy labs and clinics, bone marrow transplants (BMT), targeted therapy, cellular therapy, or related toxicity and infectious disease research.
By immersing students at this pivotal stage in their training, the goal of this fellowship is to create a pipeline of future specialists and researchers dedicated to improving outcomes for patients with MDS and other hematologic malignancies.
To learn more about the Victoria Searls Traylor Fellowship for Research and Innovation in Hematological and Infectious Diseases, click here.