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A crowd of dozens clapped and cheered as Michael Stigall cradled his ukulele in his right arm and bowed. But this was not your typical recital. Stigall had just completed a 27-day stint in the hospital after undergoing a bone marrow transplant at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, and, before walking out the door, he performed a song he wrote for a group of loved ones, clinicians and law enforcement officers who were right by his side throughout treatment.

“All the nurses and doctors here have been unbelievable. They have just touched my life, and we’ve built a great friendship and love for each other because they take care of you,” Stigall said. “I can’t thank this hospital enough for saving my life.”

In December 2024, Stigall wasn’t feeling well at work, so he decided to visit an urgent care center. Results from his blood work stumped the physicians, and they suggested he go to the emergency room. Stigall received further blood tests at the hospital, and the next morning when his results came back, he was told to make an appointment at Massey.

The diagnosis turned out to be leukemia in his bone marrow. Stigall underwent a series of blood transfusions followed by multiple rounds of chemotherapy before he was admitted for a bone marrow transplant. After a successful transplant, Stigall took residence in an inpatient bed at Massey for the next four weeks. He wanted to give a name to his unidentified 19-year-old bone marrow donor from Europe, whose immune system is now infused within his body. For now, Stigall has named him Ethan.

“We became partners in the rest of our lives, so I figured I’d give him some form of identity and a name. Thank you, Ethan. I appreciate it,” Stigall said.

It was within the first couple of days that Stigall began to write a song about his journey. His father taught him how to play the ukulele, and his 1963 Martin served as a bedside companion throughout his stay. And over the next month, Stigall shaped “My DNA,” a folky tune about his diagnosis, treatment and the people who helped save his life.

Moments before Stigall played the song for the unit, John McCarty, M.D., the medical director of the Cellular Immunotherapies and Transplant Program at Massey, fist bumped him, gave him detailed instructions on how to protect his wellness beyond the hospital walls and told him he was healthy enough to leave.

“It hasn’t really hit me yet, but it’s happening. It’s time for me to go,” Stigall said, fighting back tears. “I’m just so thankful that I’ve had a chance to hopefully live a lot longer than I would have if I had just been under normal therapy. This is a tough program to go through, but it’s worth it. Now, I can spend more time with my grandkids and my daughters and all the other people in my life.”

Standing in the hallway of the unit, Stigall strummed along as he sang:

“This is just a phase of life
No matter how hard the task
Within days, we will be well again
So stay the course and live”

Stigall thanked his family for being tremendously supportive of him while going through treatment, and he thanked his wife, Patricia, for being next to him the whole way. He commended the comprehensive care team at Massey who looked after him.

Stigall also invited officers from VCU Police to be present for his performance. Sgt. Shola Kayode had previously escorted Patricia to Massey after she was dropped off at an incorrect address nearly two miles away, a gesture that significantly eased Patricia’s anxiety in a time of distress while she was trying to visit her husband in the hospital. Days later, five VCU Police officers came to visit the Stigalls at Massey to check in and see how they were doing, and they continued their relationship during his stay.

“Meeting Mrs. Stigall and her husband was one of those extraordinary experiences. I feel privileged to have met such a wonderful couple and hear their beautiful stories,” Kayode said. “Hearing Michael sing was beautiful. He insisted he wasn’t a professional singer or songwriter, but he sounds like one.”

After Stigall was officially discharged, VCU Police provided a courtesy escort caravan for he and his wife off of the medical campus.

Stigall hopes his song and experience can serve as encouragement for others who may be going through a similar diagnosis and treatment.

“I’ve been praying for all these patients up here. I want to let them know that, from room 11, I’ve got their back,” Stigall said as he was awaiting his official discharge. “And when I ring that bell, when I go out that door, I hope that everybody hears that bell, knowing that I’ve touched their lives and they have touched mine.”

Watch the full version of “My DNA” here:

Written by: Blake Belden