Monday, March 1st, 2010
Indiana University Memorial Union
10am - 6pm
Frangipani Room
900 E. 7th Street
Bloomington, IN 47405
http://www.teamlindsay.org/#times
Every year almost 140,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with some form of blood cancer, including leukemia and lymphoma. For some patients, Stem Cell Transplants utilizing matched donors offer the best hope for a cure.
Lindsay's Story:
As a senior at Duke University I was expecting to face many transitions: from the classroom to the corporate office, from living on my parents’ dime to striking it out on my own, from living in the protective bubble of college to figuring out how to navigate city life. The transition from healthy young woman to bald cancer warrior, though, was a big one that I’d never anticipated.
In November 2008, I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. Over the past year and a half, as an ongoing patient and survivor, I have learned to replace “Why Me?” with “What’s Next?” I have endured three different regimens of chemotherapy, laid in the exact same position every day for a month for radiation, and rehabilitated from too many surgeries to count. After each failed attempt at remission, I have felt myself grow stronger rather than weaker. However, my cancer just won’t take the hint.
My current “What’s Next” is a stem cell transplant, a process that utilizes a matched donor to revamp my entire immune system. I have been unable to beat my cancer with my body’s own resources, so I am searching for someone else’s stem cells to do the trick. In short, I need your help. With the stem cells of a matched donor, I can beat my Lymphoma, and transition from bald cancer warrior back to healthy young woman.
70% of the people who need stem cell or bone marrow transplants do not have a compatible donor in their family and must look in bone marrow registries for an unrelated donor. As more people are registered and the database grows, the chance that someone like Lindsay will find a match increases significantly. DKMS has helped match donors for over 19,000 bone marrow transplants by adding more people to the national database.
What are the basic eligibility requirements to register as a bone marrow donor?
• Be between the ages of 18 and 55
• Be in good general health
• Not be HIV positive or at risk for AIDS
• Not have severe heart disease
• Not have a history of cancer
• Not have severe asthma (daily inhalers are acceptable)
• Not have diabetes requiring insulin
• Not have hepatitis
• Not have epilepsy
• Not have chronic or severe back problems or surgery
• Not have autoimmune disorders such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis or multiple sclerosis
