squeakr

Although only you old timers may remember it, I was (in a former life) an IT recruiter. One of the network gurus I placed is now a dear friend and the man we visit every couple of years in New Zealand. I also placed a few other techs who worked for Wendell, and one of them, Grant Nakatani, has a daughter who desperately needs a bone marrow transplant.

Natalie is 8 years old. She has a little brother, Sean, and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

After five difficult rounds of chemotherapy last year, Natalie's leukemia was in remission. Now it's back and we have just weeks to find the bone marrow donor match that Natalie needs to save her life.

Natalie's greatest chance for a match is from those of ASIAN descent.

If you are ANYWHERE on the west coast (there are donor drives in Seattle, LA and Hawaii) especially if you are of Asian descent and can be tested PLEASE help. I can't imagine any worse pain than watching one's child get sicker and sicker.
If you're on Facebook please help spread the word.

www.hopefornatalie.com

http://www.facebook.com/Save.Natalie?ref=ts


http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-6...local-8yearold



Thanks everyone.

squeakr

in case that helps!

Gargoyle

I registered 15 years ago on a national marrow donor list. I do hope they have maintained and protected their database, so that all of us early ones are still included. However, I've moved since then- this thread is a reminder that I need to contact the list managers and update my contact info.

http://www.marrow.org/

squeakr

I didn't realize there are links on the donor pages requesting financial donations. That is NOT what this is about - it's all about finding a match for Natalie.

Thanks to all those who have PM'd me. Please consider getting tested!

thankhs

squeakr

lin821

I wish I were in the States right now.

I just looked at Natalie's photo and it seems she may have a good chance to find possible match from Tzu Chi (慈濟), an established Taiwan-based Foundation that has marrow donor registry since 1993. They've handled about 2000 cases in 27 countries over the years.

No religion affiliation (Buddhism) is needed to utilize their services. Please contact BTCSCC to apply for transplant matching ( Link to the Guideline of Bone Marrow Match for Overseas Referral Case). Let me know if I can be of further assistance communicating with Tzu Chi HQ since I am in Taiwan right now. I can help Natalie's family if they don't speak Taiwanese and Mandarin.

ps. More about Tzu Chi

squeakr

Thanks to everyone who prayed, got tested, PM'd me for more info and esp to lin821 who sent me info for the family. I do not know any more that that the match was found and he/she is Asian


The transplant is in the next month so keep those prayers going

thanks everyone

SomeGuy

How does one go about getting tested? These stories encourage me to do it, but I don't know how.

Is there anything that disqualifies someone from being eligible?

squeakr

then if you match someone waiting you will be called in.

http://www.marrow.org/JOIN/Join_in_P...ex.html#expect

Health guidelines are basic - you can't have cancer, AIDS, or other serious diseases, and certain medications MAY disqualify you. It's all in the page listed.

THANKS!

Seat13c

Nearest site to me is atleast an hour away. Its a shame that there is approximately 1 million people in my county at any given time and there are no test sites what so ever.

Calcifer

They'll mail you a kit to swab your own cheek and then send back to them--that's how I did it.

Check out the "Join Now" link for that site rather than the "Join in Person."
http://www.marrow.org/JOIN/Join_Now/join_now.html

squeakr

forgot to note you can do it by mail now! Takes about 10 days...

heffa

I was reading this article in USA Today this morning [outside in sunny socal.] Only 14 million people (including me) have signed up with bone marrow registries world-wide, but the real problem is that there are billions of combinations. Even if all people on this planet signed up, then still some wouldn't be able to find a perfect match. Quite sad, isn't it? The article also talks about compensating donors, but I'm not sure if that's the way to go.

Jenbel

squeakr - that's great news - fingers crossed for Natalie ^

Seat13c

Cool! Thanks. I'll put if for it right away.

baglady

That is such great news!!! I'll continue to pray for Natalie.