May I ask a personal favor of you?

[Icheb]

You do know that asking total strangers for personal favors is considered rude?

 

(Don't take it too seriously .)

[j_p]

You do know that asking total strangers for personal favors is considered rude?

 

(Don't take it too seriously .)

 

Ah' date=' but I don't consider you strangers ...

 

A more serious response would be that I am not asking a favor [ignore that Title behind the curtain'], but asking for assistance, not for myself but for one unable to ask herself.

 

The most serious response is that the shortage of stem cell donors means that there are not enough matches in the system. And so, people die.

 

The Little Beloved just cruised through chemo [it nearly killed her last time], and her extended family is running donor drives all over the country. So, lives will be saved.

[j_p]

PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH EVERYONE ON YOUR CONTACT LIST.

 

My friends, as most of Eastern Massachusetts now knows, my niece Emily has leukemia and is hoping for a bone marrow transplant. Unfortunately, she has no match on the international registries.

 

So, her aunt Margaret O'Leary has started an e-drive. Those of you who can not attend any of the live-drives listed below have two options for registering as donors:

 

 

http://www.crir.org [click on To Register As a Donor]

 

http://www.giftoflife.org [click on DONORS & ONLINE REGISTRATION]

 

The Caitlin Raymond International Registry [CRIR] is for anyone covered by a non-ERISA employer's health plan in Massachusetts; Gift of Life requires a tax deductible donation of $18.

 

These sites, and http://www.marrow.org have lots of information on bone marrow donation.

 

A lot of people have asked how to help; it's easy. Forward this email to EVERYONE in your contact lists, and post the information on every message board you visit. We will find a match for Emily, and for all the others without a match.

 

Thanks, every-one.

 

Emily's Wicked Aunt Jean

 

Links:

http://www.crir.org/registerdonor.html

http://www.giftoflife.org/article.asp?ID=10

http://homepage.mac.com/dok/iblog/B1289807253/index.html

http://www.bonemarrowtest.com/patient_services/calendar_of_drives/

 

Live-drives:

 

BRING YOUR INSURANCE CARD!

 

January 14th:

The DANTE Club

3 Dante Terrace, Somerville

off Craigie St. at the intersection of Somerville Ave & Elm St

Saturday, January 14th, 10 am to 3 pm

 

January 21st:

The Elks Club

52 Long Pond Road, Plymouth

Saturday, January 21st, 9 am to 5 pm

 

January 21st & 22nd:

Milford Portuguese Club

19 Prospect Heights, Milford

Saturday, January 21st, 9 am to 5 pm

Sunday, January 22nd, 10 am to 4 pm

 

January 26th:

VFW Post 8502

843 State Road [Route 6], Westport

Thursday, January 26th, 2 pm to 8 pm

 

January 28th:

First Church [Congregational]

1 Meetinghouse Green [off route 1A/133], Ipswich

Saturday, January 28th, 10 am to 4 pm

 

January 29th:

Subway

151 Highland Street, Worcester

Sunday, Janudary 29th, Noon to 5 pm

[parking: corner of West & Highland behind the Sahara]

 

February 4th & 5th:

Holy Family Parish Hall

5 Sparhawk Street, Amesbury

Saturday, February 4th, 10 am to 6 pm

Sunday, February 5th, noon to 5 pm

 

We're gonna save a lot of lives.

 

j.

[j_p]

I am so sorry I abandoned this post. Thousands of new potential donors were registered; nearly two hundred patients waiting for donors were matched. These numbers do not include those of you who may have registered.

 

Unfortunately for all of us, my niece was not one of those who was matched. Emily Jane has gone home.

[Severian]

I think I am AB- but I am not sure. I have never donated blood, but I think that is mainly because I don't trust doctors and nurses.

[ecoli]

In the U.S., it's 17 to give blood, but 18 to register as a bone marrow/stem cell donor.

no, it varies by state.

[Royston]

I think I am AB- but I am not sure. I have never donated blood, but I think that is mainly because I don't trust doctors and nurses.

 

I'm common as muck with A RH +, AB negative means you can receive any negative blood group including O IIRC, but O used to be considered a universal blood group for donation, so that's probably changed. I'm not sure what's not to trust if you're giving blood, what do you think they're going to do...bleed you dry ?