SDN: Save a Life Today...

[BrownSound]

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Fellow SDNers,

Although I am not an avid poster, I am a regular on this forum. I have learned a lot from you all about the profession, where its heading, the current situation etc etc. SDN was there when I was waiting for my acceptance into pharm school and I trust you all to at least take a look at my situation.

I know a lot of people come to this forum with their problems (academic, professional and others) and seek advice. So here I am doing the same. I am not sure if this is the right way to use SDN for my situation...so mods, if you find this inappropriate just let me know.

I will cut to the chase. Basically, I need your help desperately. I have a family member who needs to undergo stem cell transplant immediately. No match was found among relatives, so the only option we have left is to look into international marrow network to find a match. The chances of finding a match internationally is diminished by the fact that I am from a south asian background. Marrow networks have a very small proportion of donors who are from minority groups. The search for an unrelated international donor has started already with no results yet.

I don't have time to be sad and mope around. I am asking EVERYONE to seriously consider joining the marrow network...or at least learn about it.

Right now, we are trying to get our local community to join the registry in large numbers (friends asking friends, newspaper ads maybe, facebook group "save a life today" etc etc). But I am doubtful that people would actually take action on their own. If you are from U.S. please check out www.marrow.org and if you are from Canada please check out www.onematch.ca for more details.

I am sincerely asking for your help. I know a lot of you will check out those links, but what can I do for people to actually join the registry? Is there anything SDN can do...mods? The members who are working in the community or in the hospital, is there something you can do? Maybe I can use youtube to promote this as well...I am just looking for effective ideas.

Any suggestions or comments will be greatly appreciated. I trust everyone to take some time out and look at this seriously. Thank you.

 

[no-see-um]

Hi,

I'll check it out and see about donations. Good luck.

 

[BrownSound]

Thank you MunnaBhai.

 

[BrownSound]

I know a lot of you have read this thread. Just to update everyone, we have gotten many responses and ideas. We are trying to reach as many people as possible and are trying to organize donor drives on university campuses.

Here is a success story in U.S. www.helpvinay.org . They actually managed to get over 24,000 people to sign on to the national registry. A match was found and the stem cells were transplanted, now he is slowly recovering. There are MANY others in need for a stem cell donor including my father. Their lives could be saved if only they could find a suitable donor who is willing to give them a second chance to live. Chances of finding a donor is anywere form 1 in 20,000 to 1 in 100,000. So you see as more people join the registry, the probability of finding a match increases for each patient.

So please visit www.marrow.org if you are in U.S. and www.onematch.ca if you are in Canada. Joining the registry is VERY simple and there is no risk in being a donor (despite what you think).

I don't have the manpower or the resources to pull of something like that, but a lot of people are offering to help. If you'd like to help, you can do the following for now:

1. get informed by visiting those links
2. spread the word among your friends and family, send them emails, tell them in person, hold donor drives in your city
3. Join the registry

If anybody from another profession is viewing this thread, you can help by discussing this among your peers as well.

I am not trying to sell a product here, I am simply looking for you guys to help me find a match for my father and many other patients who are suffering from various blood related disorders.

I know we are all students/pharmacists here and we are all busy. But you have the chance to save lives and help people. After all, we are going to be future health care professionals.

Lets get this thread rolling...what do you think about stem cell transplants?

 

[Caverject]

Have you looked into Autologous stem cell transplants? I actually have first hand experience with it...it's quite impressive

 

[BrownSound]

Yes, autologous transplants are impressive, but unfortunately for his condition its not a possibility. His own stem cells need to be destroyed completely and new stem cells from a suitable match need to be transplanted. We have looked within our family too, but no match was found. Most patients don't find match within their family, thats why they have to look into national marrow registries.

 

[BrownSound]

It is very simple to join the registry. In U.S. they use buccal swabs to test your HLA type (human leukocyte antigen) and put you on the registry. In Canada, they take a small sample of blood and put you on registry. Cheek swabs will be used couple of months down the road. There are thousands of people waiting to find their match. You can give someone their second birthday.

...I know what you are thinking. But you would do the same if you were in my situation. You'd try to raise awareness however you can.

I do feel guilty for being selfish. I used to donate blood once a year before this happend..and they would call me every 56 days to make an appointment and I'd say no. Even though I could have donated every couple of months, I chose to do it once a year. I feel guilty for not donating blood frequently enough (although, I didn't know about stem cell donations then).

You don't feel good about yourself when you know that, because its a personal situation you are going out of your way to do what you can. But if it wasn't a personal situation, would I have done so much?

 

[BrownSound]

And also, I notice that this thread is being viewed by many. I don't know why you guys aren't posting though. I will tell you frankly that there is no need to be careful about this. Just because it is a sensitive situation doesn't mean I will be bothered by comments. In fact, it is not a sensitive situation...it could happen to anybody. I am just sharing what I am experiencing and I will truly appreciate if you guys can at least talk about it or ask questions.