Amanda Mack, a 20-year-old volleyball player at Holy Cross in Kentucky and a Florida native, died Wednesday, Sept. 16, roughly three months after learning she had Severe Aplastic Anemia. She transferred to Holy Cross from Cincinnati and played one season as a sophomore.
In July, Mack shared her health journey on Instagram. She described waking up unwell, passing out, and being hospitalized, where her hemoglobin measured 4 and her platelets measured 1. Doctors initially suspected leukemia, but two bone marrow biopsies confirmed the rare blood disorder, in which the immune system attacks the bone marrow. She received blood and platelet transfusions and completed immunosuppressive therapy on Aug. 14, writing that she looked forward to going home, starting physical therapy, and letting her body regenerate its bone marrow.
Her family announced her death a little over a month later, and the Holy Cross women’s volleyball team paid tribute to her. For families across the Suncoast, her story is a reminder that serious illness can strike young, healthy people without warning, and that unusual symptoms deserve prompt medical attention. Have you ever had a health scare that doctors struggled to diagnose? Share your experience in the comments.
