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St. Michael hosts benefit blood drive
By Juliana Keeping
Special to the Daily Southtown
June 17, 2005 - Friends of an Orland Park woman in immediate need of a blood stem cell transplant hope a blood drive at St. Michael School on Saturday will boost her odds of surviving cancer.
St. Michael parent and parishioner Lisa O'Toole said the woman, a longtime Orland Park resident and St. Michael parishioner and mother of two, needs the transplant to save her life.
The blood drive takes place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday in the St. Michael School gym, 14327 S. Highland Ave.
Donors must be between 18 and 60 years old and in good health to participate.
The sick resident has multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cell, which is an important part of the immune system that produces antibodies which help fight disease, according to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.
A match through the National Marrow Donor Program has not been found for the woman, who did not wish to be named.
Eileen Bialas is a registered nurse and manager of the marrow donor program at LifeSource, which will test for matches Saturday.
Bialas said multiple myeloma patients can receive healthy stem cells through bone marrow harvest or blood stem cell collection. In this woman's case, it's likely to be the latter.
Whether a match for the woman will be found, getting tested could help others on the registry, she said.
"At any one time, 3,000 patients are searching the registry for a donor," Bialas said. "These patients can have leukemia, lymphomas, aplastic anemia, immune disorders or multiple myeloma."
Volunteers Saturday pay $65, which Bialas said covers the blood test cost. Those unable to donate can sponsor other volunteers, she said.
O'Toole said the woman only recently told friends of her five-year battle with multiple myeloma and that about a month ago, she was informed the transplant is her last option. The cancer had been in remission prior to that time.
Friends from the parish immediately went to work and organized the drive, O'Toole said.
"There are 170 people with time slots scheduled," O'Toole said. "We would love walk-ins, that can add to the success of this."
Those who donate will be entered into the National Marrow Donor Program. If a match is found for the St. Michael woman, or for another person in need of blood stem cell or marrow transplant, the patient's insurance would cover the cost of a transplant.
For more information, call Kathie Blanchfield, head of St. Michael Parish nurse ministry, at (708) 873-4659.
Oral Iron Chelator Exjade® Approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration
The Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation, Inc. (AA&MDSIF) applauds the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) approval of Exjade® (Novartis, Inc.), a once daily oral iron chelator for patients with transfusion based iron overload.
"Yesterday's approval of Exjade® provides our transfusion-dependent patients with a welcome new treatment option for the potentially fatal effects caused by iron overload," said Marilyn Baker, Executive Director of AA&MDSIF.
Every year, approximately 20,000 to 30,000 Americans are diagnosed with aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), or paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). These "bone marrow diseases" occur when the marrow stops making enough healthy blood cells. The causes of bone marrow diseases remain unknown, but are linked to radiation, toxins and viruses that commonly occur in our society. Many patients suffering with aplastic anemia, MDS, or PNH require transfusions on a regular basis, which opens them to accumulating harmful levels of iron in their body.
"Every 17 minutes, an American is diagnosed with a bone marrow disease. Yet when someone is stricken, it is likely that they have never even heard of these deadly illnesses" stated Baker. "Because these are such rare diseases, it is vital that patients receive up to date medical information, expert treatment and emotional support" AA&MDSIF assists thousands of patients and their loved ones around the world. Call AA&MDSIF toll free at (800)747.2820 to speak with a medical librarian or contact them through their website at www.aamds.org.
Carson’s son eyes medical career
By GREG KOHNTOPP
Greg.Kohntopp@Indeonline.com
Donald Carson isn’t letting his battle with the rare and potentially fatal disease aplastic anemia keep him from moving on with his life.
The 23-year old Savannah State graduate, who for the past eight months has been forced to live in solitude, has been accepted into Hampton University as a graduate student. Next week, Carson will head to the Virginia school and look for an apartment.
“I can’t let this disease stop my life,” said the younger Carson, who will present his father, Harry Carson, at today’s Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony. “I have to move on. I plan on going up there and finding a place to live.”
Carson plans on getting his master’s degree in medical science and becomimg a doctor.
“At first, I wanted to do physical therapy,” he said. “That’s what my cousin does and I’ve always wanted to do whatever he did. He’s like my big brother. After being sick, though, and being around a lot of cancer patients, because I’ve had to be looked at by cancer doctors because of my sickness, it really opened my eyes. I now want to be a doctor and help people who have to deal with some of the things I’ve had to.”
Harry Carson is proud that his son is moving on, but adds that this doesn’t mean his son’s fight with aplastic anemia is over.
“I’m happy that he is moving forward, at the same time I’m scared as hell,” said Harry, who starred for the New York Giants from 1976-1988. “His immune level is still very low. He has to wear a mask, not because he is contagious, but to make sure he doesn’t pick up any germs. If he picks up something and gets a fever, he has six hours to get to the hospital and get his temperature down. When he was in Savannah, we knew if he got a fever, he could be at the hospital and be taken right to the fourth floor and be given an IV within six hours. We have to make sure that we find a place that will be able to get him right in. He can’t afford to sit around in a waiting room.”
Aplastic anemia is a disease that affects a person’s bone marrow from producing blood cells. Carson was diagnosed with the disease last December shortly after his college graduation ceremony.
MARTY’S BOY – Harry Carson is most remembered as being a member of the Bill Parcells-led New York Giants team of the mid-1980s. But Carson is the first to point out that it was Marty Schottenheimer, then the defensive coordinator of the Giants, who drafted him out of South Carolina State.
“People always link me with Parcells,” Carson said. “Parcells and I have a great relationship, but Parcells inherited me. Marty really drafted me. I hope that I validated him and/or the choice he made in me by making the All-Rookie team my first year having never played the position of middle linebacker.”
Schottenheimer, who led the Browns to back-to-back AFC Championship Games in 1986 and ’87, made Carson his personal selection in the 1976 draft. Carson played defensive end in college but made the move to middle linebacker in the NFL.
“He chose me out of all the other players in the fourth round,” Carson said. “He brought me into camp a month early to teach me how to play linebacker.”
REGGIE THE GREAT – Sara White, widow of Hall of Fame inductee Reggie White, didn’t hesitate to give her opinion when asked who the greatest defensive end in NFL history was.
“Absolutely, Reggie is the greatest defensive player in the history of the NFL, and you can tell Deacon Jones I said that,” she said. “Look at all his sacks and then look at what he did in the USFL. I love you Deacon, but of course Reggie was the greatest defensive player of all time.”
White, who passed away in December of 2004, finished his 15-year career with an NFL record 198 sacks. He initially signed with the Memphis Showboats out of the University of Tennessee and played two seasons in the United States Football League (USFL). In those two seasons, he added 23.5 more sacks in 34 games.
MADDENISM – The lovable John Madden broke up the convention room at the downtown Canton Mariott during his press conference.
In the middle of talking about his favorite exhibits in the Hall of Fame, Madden looked back to where his grandson, Jack, was sitting. Jack, however, was on his way out of the room.
“Jack, am I boring you?” Madden joked. “I was talking about my grandson, I see he is walking out. It will get better. Someone else is going to get up here. We have other guys. (Troy) Aikman will be up here in a minute. Harry Carson is coming.”
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