Markets 
Holy Cross volleyball player Amanda Mack died on Wednesday, September 16, after being diagnosed with a “rare blood disorder.” She was 20.
“It is with incredible sadness that we announce the passing of our beautiful daughter Amanda Elizabeth Mack on 9/16/26 at 9:16 pm,” Mack’s Instagram account posted on Thursday, September 17. “Amanda was a bright light in this world and will be forever loved and missed! ✝️.”
Mack revealed a “major life update” on social media July 13, sharing a picture of herself in a hospital bed.
“Not a post I ever thought I would be making,” she wrote via Instagram. “A few weeks ago I woke up not feeling well. A bad headache where I could hear my heartbeat pounding in my head. I ended up passing out and went to the hospital. My hemoglobin was at 4 and my platelets were at 1. I was in critical condition. Somehow my body had depleted my blood supply and ability to clot. I was admitted to the hospital and loaded full of blood and platelet transfusions.”
After a week in the hospital, Mack said she was transferred to Tampa General Cancer Institute, where it was determined she had “a rare blood disorder called Severe Aplastic Anemia.”
“While it is technically not cancer, it is in the blood cancer family and treated the same,” she explained. “My hematology/oncology Doctors have said that I recently had a virus that I didn’t know I had and it caused my immune system to go rogue and start killing my bone marrow. I no longer can make red blood cells needed to survive which has also caused my bone marrow to be depleted.”
Mack had two “emergency surgeries in the last week to save my life due to severe complications,” but expressed optimism after finding a bone marrow donor, which she said is “the only cure” for severe aplastic anemia.
“After I am transplanted, the donor cells will start rebuilding my immune system,” she said. “It will take several months to start getting back to where I was before however, I will be back better than ever!”
Mack provided an update on August 14, saying she “finished my Immunosuppressive Therapy yesterday and came through it with minimal adverse reactions!”
“Now we wait for my body to fix my immune system and regenerate my bone marrow,” she shared via Instagram. “I should be able to go home by the end of next week and get to start Physical Therapy and the rest of my healing journey! Thank you to everyone for checking on me and for all the well wishes! You all have made this whole thing a little easier 💕.”
Mack played volleyball at the University of Cincinnati and Eastern Kentucky University before transferring to Holy Cross in July.
“Cincinnati Volleyball is heartbroken by the passing of former Bearcat Amanda Mack,” the team wrote via social media on Thursday. “Our hearts are with Amanda’s family, friends and teammates.”
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