Childhood Cancer Survivors Reunite After 30 Years—and They Work at the Same Hospital!

Dorian Scott and Dorionne Scott are not related, but they’ve lived parallel lives. Their similar names caused much confusion when they were both treated for leukemia as children by the same doctor. And after 30 years, their similar names prompted a special reunion neither will ever forget.

Dorian Scott shook his head reading yet another email in his inbox clearly meant for someone else. He recently started working as a surgical technician at Ochsner Medical Complex-Clearview in New Orleans but kept getting emails about scheduling issues. This time, he decided to investigate and learned the emails were actually intended for a woman in the surgical scheduling department named Dorionne Scott.

Same name, different spelling. Interesting, he thought. But then…

Could it possibly be? Dorian wondered.

Parallel lives

Dorian was only 2 years old when his tummy began to swell and he started having seizures. His pediatrician referred him to New Orleans’ Children’s Hospital, where doctors made a traumatic discovery: Dorian had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). “The good news is this kind of leukemia is very treatable with an exceptionally high success rate,” said pediatric hematologist Dr. Rajasekharan Warrier.

The doctor started chemo right away, and, for the next several years, Dorian was in and out of the hospital. Several times, during his stays, a nurse would come into his room and stop short, a confused look on her face.

“The little girl you’re looking for is down the hall,” Dorian’s family would say, themselves having been surprised when they learned there was a little girl in the hospital with the same name as Dorian, just spelled differently. She even had the same type of cancer.

Dorionne Scott was listless at her third birthday party—even when Big Bird, her very favorite character, stopped by to wish her a happy birthday. That night, she spiked a fever and soon tests revealed that she too had ALL and was put under Dr. Warrier’s care.

Both children’s parents marveled at the coincidence but were vigilant about making sure medical personnel kept their records straight. The kids, though, were too young to appreciate the coincidence.

By age 7, both Dorian and Dorionne happily beat their cancers and went about their separate lives. They both graduated from local colleges, married and started families. And both were inspired to pursue careers in medical care.

Dorian started his career as a surgical technician at the same hospital where he’d defeated his cancer. Dorionne worked for various hospitals and medical offices, running the front desk and scheduling appointments.

Then, in 2023, a new hospital, Ochsner Clearview, broke ground in New Orleans and by chance, they both got jobs there.

Dorionne and Dorian always said “Hi” in the hallways, but neither of them recognized the other—they were only children when they were treated for leukemia.

But learning there was another employee with his same name, Dorian wondered about the likelihood of meeting yet another person with his name.

Miracle reunion

A few days later, Dorionne was gathering signatures for a card for a retiring doctor and when she asked Dorian to sign, he casually asked, “Have you ever been to Children’s Hospital?”

“Not since I was a little girl,” she replied.

“I was there too,” Dorian said, sharing his name. “I had leukemia.”

“Oh, my God!” Dorionne blurted as suddenly everything clicked. “You’re Dorian Scott—the little boy the secretaries and nurses were always mixing up with me!”

“Yup, that was me,” Dorian smiled.

“I’m so happy to see you!” Dorionne exclaimed, throwing herself into Dorian’s arms for a hug. “I always prayed for you.”

The two became fast and lasting friends.

“It’s a true blessing we’re both still here and found one another after all these years,” says Dorian, now 40.

“It really is a true, full-circle moment,” says Dorionne, 37, who recently accepted a job as a crisis responder. But she and Dorian still talk frequently. “We’re like brother and sister—both of us survivors.”