A life in motion

Naturalist and earth science specialist Lori Bremner is a passionate and valued guest speaker aboard Crystal ships. She also just so happens to have a personal history with UT MD Anderson, a pioneering cancer treatment center that Crystal is dedicated to raising funds for. We caught up with Lori to learn about her cancer journey and her work with Crystal.

When California-based Lori Bremner learned about Crystal’s connection with MD Anderson, she was ecstatic. “I get the emails that passengers get, and that's when I got the email that mentioned MD Anderson,” she tells me, via video call from Crystal Serenity, where she has been presenting guest lectures on diverse ecosystems. “I was like, MD Anderson!” she exclaims excitedly. “And it said, ‘tell us your story’. Well, shoot, I’ve got a story!”

Lori’s story is one of epic lows and, as she tells it (ever the optimist), even more epic highs. Diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in the fall of 1977, only a week after turning 20, she was told that her illness was terminal and that she shouldn’t expect to live beyond another two years. “There really wasn't hope past that,” she says.

Seeking further treatment, Lori reached out to doctors all over the U.S., only to be met with repeated refusal. “It was heartbreaking, every time I got a no.” But she persevered. “I called MD Anderson, I don't remember what turned me onto them – whether I found an article about something they were doing,” says Lori. “I'd never heard of immunotherapy, really nobody had at that point. All they told me was, ‘We want to give your immune system a workout. We want your immune system to be so strong that if a cancer cell starts, it'll attack it right away’.”

Lori jumped at the chance and committed to traveling regularly from her family home in Illinois to MD Anderson in Houston for treatment, accompanied by her mother. It was at one of her routine checkups that she received the news she never thought she’d hear. “The oncologist said, ‘you know, it's been five years – we don't usually use the word cure with your specific type of leukemia, but people don't live five years unless they're cured, so I think you're cured. I think you could have a family and think about the future, and I don't think you need to come see us anymore’.”

While leaving the care of oncologists and shaking off her identity as a leukemic was initially jarring, Lori ultimately decided to grab life by the horns. She enrolled in a graduate degree in physical geography and threw herself into her studies, embracing all that comes with being a normal 25-year-old. “I'd been a healthy, athletic, life-loving person before I got sick and then once I felt good again, I just wanted to be that person again, not the one that would lie in bed every night and wonder if tomorrow would be the day I got sick again.”

Almost 50 years since her leukemia diagnosis, Lori is cancer-free and embracing life as a happy, healthy, semi-retired grandparent. She adores traveling the globe, educating cruise guests about the natural world around them. On Crystal ships, Lori’s fascinating lectures are followed by Q&A sessions, so that guests can engage with the subject matter on a deeper level. “They come and ask questions, or they show me their pictures, or tell me their stories,” says Lori. “I really get to know a lot of them. We end up sharing tables, going on excursions... I just want the passengers to see things,” she says. “I want them to see marine mammals. I want them to see exciting things on land.”

Lori refuses to be identified by her past illness, but she can’t deny that it has significantly impacted her outlook. “It does make me want to gather all the gusto, see everything that the world has to offer, not let inconveniences get in my way,” she says. “Don't sweat the small stuff, like travel hassles – what hassles? You're traveling! Just go with it. You know, you get delayed. It's okay. You'll get there eventually. I try not to sweat the small stuff, because really everything is small stuff if you're healthy.”

Crystal is proud to support The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, one of the world’s leading cancer centers, through an ongoing fundraising partnership dedicated to advancing cancer research and patient care. Over the summer of 2026, guests aboard Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity are invited to promenade walks supporting MD Anderson’s Boot Walk to End Cancer®. This initiative brings a meaningful philanthropic tradition on board, offering guests the opportunity to engage with a cause that extends far beyond the voyage.

To learn more about Crystal’s support of MD Anderson or make a direct donation, please visit crystalcruises.com/crystal-md-anderson.