Bone marrow drives

Tomorrow marcy and her friends are hosting a bone marrow drive at Ohio University. The bone marrow kits are free, and Marcy and her friends have put a lot of hard work into it, so I hope they have a great turnout!!!!

The second drive is an e-drive that is being sponsored by a friend of Derrick and I's, Duane Bailey Castro. He is a stem cell transplant survivor. Here is the information he emailed me about the drive.

-Like so many, I've been moved by six-year old Jasmina's desperate search to find a matched unrelated donor. For her aggressive form of leukemia, a bone marrow transplant holds the only hope of a cure.

Kai, who is four-years old, is also suffering from leukemia. He too is searching for a life-saving donor.

These two remarkable, resilient kids have inspired me. I contacted DKMS, which is coordinating the donor search for both Jasmina and Kai, to find out how I may be able to help. The result is this e-donor drive.

So, I need your help. If you're healthy, I hope that you will register to become a bone marrow donor. Even if you are not found to be a match for Jasmina or Kai, you may be the single hope that someone else has been waiting for. It only takes one person to save a life.

As the fortunate recipient of an anonymous donor's selfless generosity, I can speak firsthand about how critical this period is right now to these two precious kids and their families.

In order to register as a donor you must first check to see if you are eligible, then you must read about the commitment involved to ensure that you understand what it means to register as a bone marrow donor.

Once you have done this, send an email to info@dkmsamericas.org stating that you are eligible and understand your commitment. Please include the following drive code: DBC001.

Though I have not yet had the great honor of meeting the individual, who saved this stranger's life, I hope our paths will cross in the not-to-distant future. Just think: you may be the match for Jasmina, Kai, or someone else. Please spread the word!

Thanks,
Duane



The last bone marrow drive, I found out about today. At the Midwest Relay for Life from 5:30- 9:30 they will be having free bone marrow kits for anyone interested in signing up! I just got the official word today, and I was so excited! The National Marrow Donor program is going to be there and they are using Derrick's logo for their advertising. I will also be speaking at the Fight Back ceremony @ 7:30, which will be in conjunction with the marrow donor testing, which I feel so honored to be asked. I will be talking about the inspiration of Derrick and ways people can fight back against cancer!