Who will the transplant and fundraising benefit?
Connie Ojile, 46 year old female, single, no siblings or children.
Born in Kansas, raised in Michigan, currently of Arlington, Virginia. Management
and Organization Development Consultant, self-employed.
What is Connie's disease?
Chronic
Myelogenous Leukemia: White blood cell cancer.
Is a transplant the only chance to save her life?
Yes. Connie has an uncommon tissue type which makes finding
a match more difficult. When a donor is found she will be transplanted
at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center,
Seattle, Washington.
What is a bone marrow transplant?
Bone marrow is collected from a matched donor and injected into
Connie after she receives high doses of chemotherapy and radiation therapy
to destroy her existing marrow.
Volunteer Marrow Donors:
How can potential marrow donors be tested?
Contact your local Red Cross
or call 1-800-627-7692 (1-800-MARROW-2) at the National
Marrow Donor Program. You can write for more information: National
Marrow Donor Program - 3433 Broadway St. NE - Suite 400-Minneapolis MN
55413 or; visit their website: http://www.marrow.org/
.
*****Because tissue types are inherited, Connie's best chance of finding a match is in her ethnic (Lebanese) group. Please note that ANYONE OF MEDITERRANEAN or NEAR EAST BACKGROUND is urged to come forward and be tested. Mediterranean countries-Algeria, Corsica, Cyprus, Egypt, French Riviera, Gibraltar, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Morocco, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey.
What is involved in being a marrow donor?
You must be between 18 and 55 years old and in good health.
You donate a small sample of blood for tissue typing. Other than a possible
fee for the initial blood test there are no costs to the donor. Your test
results are added to the National
Marrow Donor Program Registry, a computer system that matches patients
to donors. If you are a preliminary match for a patient you are contacted
and asked to undergo additional testing. If these tests match, you attend
a thorough information and counseling session, undergo a physical examination
and decide whether to become a donor.
In a hospital, no more than 5% of your marrow--which is a liquid--is collected from the back of your pelvic bone using a special syringe. You are under general or regional anesthesia during this simple surgical procedure. Typically, a donor stays overnight in the hospital. You may feel some soreness in your lower back for several days after the donation. Your marrow naturally replenishes itself within a few weeks.
Why does Connie need donations?
The process of treating her disease while waiting to find a
volunteer donor makes it impossible to work. Additionally, the high cost
of a bone marrow transplant is not completely covered by health insurance.
Most patients pay up to TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($200,000.00)
in addition to what their insurance covers. Also, this is a long
process. From diagnosis to recovery could last four years. Connie was diagnosed
November 1996. The length and cost of the donor search is unpredictable.
The transplant preparation and procedure will take six months living in
the hospital and away from home in outpatient care. Because of graft-versus-host
diseases, Post-transplant recovery can last up to three years.
How much money must be raised?
$200,000.00
By when?
October, 1998. As of January 1998, Connie was $14,000 in debt
to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research
Center, and still has not identified a donor.
What specific expenses will the money be used to cover?
Primarily medical expenses not covered by insurance. Other expenses
include transportation, medication, and living expenses for Connie and
a caregiver during the donor search, transplant, and recovery.
Where should contributions be sent?
Saint George Orthodox Church Leukemia Fund
5191 Lennon Road
Flint MI 48507
To whom should the check be made?
St. George Leukemia Fund
Are contributions tax deductible?
Yes. You will receive written thanks and acknowledgment.
Who can be called for further information?
Mrs. Sylvia Abdella or Rev. Father Joseph Abud at St. George's
in Flint: (810) 732-0720.
Does Connie have an e-mail address?
Connie received a laptop recently, but has not had the strength
or the opportunity to learn how to use the internet features yet. She does
have an e-mail address - ihonoru@aol.com but I don't know when she'll be able
to answer.You could e-mail me at: heatgain@mindspring.com
and I'll pass on any messages when Connie's able enough to talk on the
phone.