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New Challenge for Christopher LeBleu
Marine in Need
Reported by: Libby White
February 24, 2005 - Lance Corporal Christopher LeBleu is suffering from aplastic anemia and needs a bone marrow transplant. There is currently no match in the National Bone Marrow Registry. The LeBleu family and Lifeshare Blood Centers are asking you for help. Eric Lamendola, LeBleu's stepfather says, "It's a matter of life or death. That's how important it is."
"What he has now is called aplastic anemia, and he's not producing any white blood cells or red blood cells. That's what your body needs everyday, and that means his whole immune system is shut down," said Lamendola. He says LeBleu's immune system shut down over two weeks ago, and now he must have a bone marrow transplant.
While Lamendola hopes Chris's perfect match comes in, he's hoping this situation can help others as well. He says, "Chris is drawing attention, because he is a marine just back from Iraq; and people are seeing that part of it, people are very patriotic and feel for him or whatever. But we don't want people to forget that there are other people who need this also. So, if this situation draws enough attention where it may save one or two other people, that's a wonderful thing."
So donors are setting out to try to help Chris at Lifeshare Blood Centers. Jim McGough joined the National Donor Registry and said, "If you could just take 30 minutes out of your time and it could mean a life difference to someone else, why not do it? You might be in the situation where you might need that in your life later on." Courtney Guillory also donated blood and joined the Registry. Guillory says, "It's worth saving somebody's life for it. It's two seconds of pain - putting it in and it doesn't hurt taking it out and you're just sitting there."
While it normally costs $65 to register with the National Bone Marrow Registry, that fee is being waived for the first 100 type "O" donors who sign up in Chris's name. Lamendola says, "I couldn't stress enough - if not only for Chris's sake, please, please go out and sign up to be an organ donor, a blood donor, a bone marrow donor. These are simple things that you can do and it's going to save somebody's life."
To be a possible bone marrow match for Christopher, you must have type "O" blood. Lifeshare will be accepting donations from 8 AM to 5 PM on Friday and 10 AM to 3 PM on Saturday.
Wells Family Pushes For Bone Marrow Bill
Bill Would Make Donors More Accessible
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - April 4, 2005 - Kailee Wells' parents are watching their daughter's condition before deciding whether she should have a second bone marrow transplant.
The child's first transplant in January failed.
Kailee, who is 8 years old, has severe aplastic anemia, which is a fatal disease where bone marrow stops producing blood cells.
On Monday, Kailee's parents are asking for your help.
They want people to call their lawmakers and support legislation creating a national network for cord-blood stem cells, which would make bone marrow donors more accessible.
A bill supporting the network is scheduled for a Senate hearing on Monday.
Hallmark Health and Dana Farber sponsoring bone marrow drive
June 24, 2005 - Melrose-Wakefield Hospital and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute are co-sponsoring a bone marrow donor screening Tuesday, June 28,at Melrose-Wakefield Hospital.
"Many patients who require bone marrow transplants die because no donors can be found," said Carl Turissini, MD, director of the angioplasty program at MWH and coordinator of the bone marrow drive. "Anyone can be a bone marrow donor and it gives them the ability to help save a life. It only takes a few minutes of their time and a tube of blood to be screened."
Bone marrow donations are typically used to help leukemia and lymphoma patients recover from chemotherapy. Bone marrow donations are also used to help patients recover from aplastic anemia, inherited disorders and many other diseases.
The bone marrow donor screening will take place Tuesday, June 28 at MWH, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Refreshments will be served. A blood test is required for the screening, which is covered by most insurance providers.
For information about the bone marrow screening at Melrose-Wakefield Hospital, call 800-540-9191. For information about becoming a bone marrow donor, visit www.nmdp.org.
AFMC to focus on bleeding disorders
Continuing Medical Education programme on Saturday, Sunday will focus on new ways of diagnosis
Express News Service
Pune, July 28: THE ARMED Forces Medical College (AFMC) will focus attention on bleeding disorders through a Continuing Medical Education (CME) programme on ‘Recent Advances in Management of Haemorrhagic Disorders’ on Saturday and Sunday.
According to Col Harsh Kumar, Professor and Head of Department of Transfusion Medicine, AFMC, Haemorrhagic disorders or abnormal bleeding conditions are a major cause of ill health and fatality for mankind.
These diseases may be due to inherited defects such as haemophilia or acquired late in life due to various conditions such as liver disease, vitamin K deficiency, bone marrow disorders, anticoagulant drug overdose and others.
Haemophilia has been called a Royal Malady as it was prevalent in the family of Queen Victoria of England and the Russian Tsars.
Maj Gen P Madhusoodanan, Dean and Deputy Commandant, Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), will inaugurate the CME. Dr M B Agarwal of Mumbai will deliver the keynote address on ‘Managing hard-to-control bleeding disorders - Role of Recombinant Factor VIIa.’
Several speakers will attend the CME. These include Dr Renu Saxena of AIIMS, New Delhi, Dr K Ghosh of IIH Mumbai, Dr Das Gupta from Ranbaxy, Mumbai, Colonel Velu Nair, from Army Hospital, Delhi as well as Dr JS Dugal, Dr Shashi Apte and Colonel A Mehta from Pune.
Patients suffering from bleeding disorders have been traditionally treated through blood transfusions, blood products such as fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and cryoprecipitates.
Newer methods include specific coagulation factor concentrates, which can be made both from human plasma and recombinant production technology. Platelet transfusions play a very important role in preventing bleeding and saving lives in patients suffering from haaemorrhagic dengue fever, leukaemias, aplastic anemia.
This facility is available at AFMC as well as other major blood banks in Pune. The CME will deliberate on newer concepts in diagnosis and management of bleeding disorders.
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