Save a Life- Be a Bone Marrow Donor

[Mango]

This is the face of many who need a bone marrow transplant. This adorable 6 year old has diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Her only hope right now is a bone marrow transplant, however, no one in the registry is currently a match. She is the daughter of a friend and Doctor who has done given so much of himself to treat his patients and save lives and now he has put out an urgent plea to others.

"We anticipate that the transplant will occur in March/April 2011 at Children?s Hospital in DC after Jordan undergoes an estimated 3 months of induction chemotherapy at the Hemby Center; she is on her way to the hospital with us today. In order to increase the likelihood that we find a better match for Jordan, we are asking friends and family to participate in joining the National Marrow Donor Program. Because patients are most likely to match someone of their own race or ethnicity, please be aware that Jordan comes from a Scottish, Irish, and Ukrainian background. We have outlined the simple steps below in how one can get signed up to be part of this registry."

I learned that being a bone marrow donor is not as intrusive or as dangerous as I had thought; unfortunately, I am unable to donate.
Here is a link with Myths and Facts about becoming a Donor.

MYTH: All bone marrow donations involve surgery.FACT:

The majority of donations do not involve surgery. Today, the patient's doctor most often requests a peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation, which is non-surgical.
The second way of donating is marrow donation, which is a surgical procedure.


My friend's daughters name is Jordan Jemsek. If interested in seeing if you are a match for her, contact contact Elizabeth Ballas at eballas@jemsekspecialty.com.

 

[Jdarg]

I am in the Registry, and have been for about 15 years. I have never been called for anything, but would be totally ready if the phone call came in that I was a perfect match for somebody.

I got on the list when a child in my hometown community was ill (can't remember the exact disease). Nobody in her family was a match, and the whole town showed up at a local church and stood in line to give our blood for the sample and fill out the paperwork. It was one of the greatest examples of a community pulling together that I have ever seen, and the registry now has a couple of hundred people on the list, all living within a 3 square mile area.

Getting on the Registry is an amazing "living" Christmas gift.

 

[scooterbug44]

Is there a place to go locally to sign up as a potential donor?

That is definitely something I would like to do and it would be cool if we could get a bunch of Sowallers signed up as a resource.

 

[Jdarg]

I just looked at the website- it looks like just a cheek swab is needed now instead of a blood sample- even easier!

 

[Mango]

Is there a place to go locally to sign up as a potential donor?

That is definitely something I would like to do and it would be cool if we could get a bunch of Sowallers signed up as a resource.

I just called the National Bone Marrow Program and they have Recruiters throughout the Country. I asked if there was a central location that Sowalers could go to sign up to be a donor. They are going to have a Recruiter call me and discuss it further. If you think that enough Sowalers would show up, it seems they can make arrangements somewhere to have have a "drive" so to say. I'll let you know if there if there is a minimum number of people, etc.

 

[scooterbug44]

Depending on their schedule/what kind of test it needs, it might be a good thing to piggyback on another event - like a race or Songwriter's.

If it's just a cheek swab, we should be able to get hundreds to participate.

 

[Mango]

Depending on their schedule/what kind of test it needs, it might be a good thing to piggyback on another event - like a race or Songwriter's.

If it's just a cheek swab, we should be able to get hundreds to participate.

That would be wonderful, and who knows, someone could be a match for Jordan. if anyone needed a break and an angel for his daughter, it's her father, Dr. Jemsek. Not only did his daughter relapse from Leukemia, his wife has breast cancer on top of it all. He is one of the top infectious disease specialists in the Country, has risked his practice to treat people out of the box saving many lives. Somehow he manages to get up and go save more lives every day, even amidst coming home to a sick family. He truly is an admirable man.

I will call you when I hear back from the Recruiters. This warms my heart.

 

[scooterbug44]

I don't know if we will find a match for her, but I am thinking that a bunch of us getting registered can only be a good thing - the more registered, the more people we can match!

It sounds like a needle in a haystack, but the more haystacks, the more needles they will contain!

 

[kitlit]

I'm in. Keep me posted if you get a location for SoWallers, otherwise, I'll investigate going somewhere on my own...

So simple to do, yet so very important for the lives of others. Funny, how easy it can be to make an impact. :scratch:

 

[Mango]

I'm in. Keep me posted if you get a location for SoWallers, otherwise, I'll investigate going somewhere on my own...

So simple to do, yet so very important for the lives of others. Funny, how easy it can be to make an impact. :scratch:

A Donor Drive is in the works. I have already been contacted by the President of the Registry Match in NY, and he will coordinate with their FL rep-- if we have a Drive.

However, it is very easy to do this at your own convenience by going to the site and registering. Then order a free kit to mailed to your home to do a simple cheek swab.

JOIN NOW- Get your Donor Kit <<< Click Here

(Not our Sowal Kit )