Family first: Purdue’s Winston Berglund gave gift of life to mother with bone marrow donation

Winston Berglund‘s phone is buzzing. It’s Dad calling.

“Hey, when you get home, just call me back.” said Brent Berglund.

The news isn’t good: Alicia Berglund, Winston’s mother, has cancer.

“I was crying hysterically,” recalled Winston. “Just kind of confused, kind of out of nowhere. I remember it like it was yesterday.”

That was January 2025. Now, almost a year later, Alicia Berglund, 51, is in remission from leukemia. And she has Winston to thank.

“I have a lot to live for,” said Alicia. “I have great kids, a great husband. I don’t go to the negative. I just don’t. And still today, I’m in the clear. But there could be moments of valleys and dips, and it’s just the way it is when you’re faced with a cancer diagnosis.

“I’m lucky.”

And loved.

SOMETHING ISN’T RIGHT

The Berglunds–all five of them–are a close-knit family nestled in Carmel, a leafy suburb tucked on the northern fringe of Indianapolis. Growing up, life gravitated around the children–school, dances, games, meets, meals …

There’s Meredith, the oldest, a standout swimmer at Carmel who competed at South Carolina before finishing at Purdue. She now works for the football program. And then there are the twins: Winston and Berit. Winston is a rising sophomore linebacker at Purdue, while Berit is a star swimmer at Texas with Olympic-ability. Father Brent is the patriarch who set the tone athletically, playing football and baseball at Butler. Alicia tethers it all together.

“I have been blessed,” said Alicia.

And she’s always in touch with her children.

“I just spoke to her today,” beamed Winston.

The exchanges are often innocuous with her only son. But that’s not the point. It’s the connection, the honest sharing, the openness, the being there for each other. There’s nothing a conversation with Mom won’t solve. Just hearing her voice placates. The bond is strong.

“He’s my guy,” said Alicia.

Each interaction is punctuated with: “I love you.” Those three words soon would take on an even deeper meaning–if that’s possible–for Winston and his mom.

The Berglund’s world was about to be rocked.

It was the summer of 2024. And there was a pain in Alicia’s chest.

“Something was not right,” she said. “This is bizarre. By the end of August, we knew something wasn’t right. And I was diagnosed in September.”

Cancer. Specifically: leukemia.

Alicia was breathless, and the questions spilled quickly …

How did this happen?

Will I be OK?

Am I going to die?

Why me?

Everyone took a deep breath.

“I think of leukemia and lymphoma as totally treatable,” said Alicia. “There’s a lot of success. And I was just like, ‘OK, I got this.’ I’m just an optimistic person. I never thought of doom and gloom.

“Telling the kids was the hardest thing. And you look at life definitely different, for sure.”

The Berglunds sprung into action. Alicia underwent 30 days of treatment that ended in October 2024. That was followed by another small round of chemo.

“Chemo was not that bad,” Alicia fessed. “I threw up once in this whole mess. I did lose some weight, which I needed to. I lost about 20 pounds. And I did lose my hair. That’s traumatic, especially for a female, but that’s OK. There are worse things, you know? I’m here.”

But to be totally in the clear, Alicia would need a bone marrow transplant.

“Doctors recommended a transplant if I wanted a full recovery, completely getting this stuff,” said Alicia. “Cancer is serious. It’s life-threatening. We hopped on this pretty quickly.

“They usually like 45 (years old) and younger for bone marrow transplant donors, and male donors are better with going to a female recipient,” said Alicia.

The Berglunds tested family members. And they searched the international bank, too, seeking a match. And one was found just before Christmas last year.

It was Winston. And, get this: He wasn’t just a match. He was a perfect match.

“She’s like, ‘You don’t have to do this,’ ” said Winston. “I’m like, ‘Man, I’m going to do it no matter what. I don’t know why you think I wouldn’t do it.’

“I was pretty excited. I was a perfect match. The chances of that are pretty slim.”

It was a gift Winston could give. The ultimate gift. The gift of life.

“He was my lucky guy,” said Alicia. “Winston, he’s so humble. He was like: ‘Yeah, Mom, no problem. I got you,’ It’s been so surreal in so many ways.”

GIFT OF LIFE

Winston Berglund is 6-2, 230 pounds of youth, vitality and strength, a Big Ten linebacker built to run and hit. Just look at him, that neck, those shoulders, the thighs.

Even better: He had the leukemia antibodies to keep Alicia’s leukemia at bay and help her–essentially–get a new immune system, which she needed.

The transplant took place on January 6, 2025. And it was a success. Alicia is in remission.

“I just look at the ceiling sometimes, and you’re just amazed,” said Alicia. “How does this line up when you’re sick?”

It did. Some call it luck. The Berglunds like to believe a higher power was at work.

Alicia still has blood work monthly. Positive news: Her counts have been good. And medical professionals have been doing scans every three months, and will for the first year after the marrow transplant.

“I’ve had no re-hospitalizations due to infections,” said Alicia. “There’s all different sorts of things that can go wrong with the transplant. I’ve broken out in hives a couple of times, because that’s kind of like a reaction, sometimes, with your immune system stabilizing.”

You have a lot of time to think when you’re battling cancer. That’s good … and bad. Emotions can overwhelm at times. Alicia’s gratitude has deepened. Her spirit: undaunted.

And the bond between son and mom runs stronger, deeper–each drawing strength from the other: Alicia battling cancer, and Winston battling injury that limited him to three games last year and sidelined him earlier his season.

“She was really inspiring to me, just how to live my life, too,” said Winston. “Her spirit throughout the process. She was never sad or down. She was like, ‘This is what I’m going to do in my life. I’m going to be a cancer survivor.’ She’s always been positive about it.”

Winston has not been alone in support for Mom. Teammates–more like brothers, really–have rallied.

“Ethan (Trent) was the first person outside my family I told as soon as I found out, because with him and his brother, Tyler, and his family and what they went through,” said Winston. “I just wanted advice, and he was the first guy I went to, as well as my old roommates, Will (Heldt) and Dillon (Thieneman) and George (Burhenn).”

That day still resonates with Trent.

“Just him coming to me and kind of pouring his heart out,” said Trent, who lives with Berglund. And my first feeling was just empathy for him, just because, unfortunately, I’ve been in a situation similar, and I did my best to provide guidance and sympathy where I could, and advice where I could, and just helped him understand that he’s not in it alone at all.”

Together, the Berglunds and those who buoyed them fought along with Alicia.

“All the little things, they all matter,” said Alicia. “This stuff can take families down financially. And emotionally. We’ve all stuck together.

“I’m just so thankful, so thankful.”

To register with the National Marrow Donor Program, click here.