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Save a life - bone marrow screening - 18 November 2007

jonnibgood

Posted by jonnibgood about 1 year ago
Last active about 1 year ago 11 responses

Love life, live life, give life

This is a very personal message. Unforunately late last year – my mum, Sharon Berger, was diagnosed with MDS, a rare bone marrow condition. MDS is a genetic blood disorder where the bone marrow does not produce enough healthy white blood cells and therefore the body’s immune system cannot fight off infections. To prevent leukaemia, the only treatment for MDS is a bone marrow transplant. At the moment we are searching for a perfect bone marrow match through the Anthony Nolan Trust database in the UK.

Inspired by Sharon and the thousands of patients desperately waiting to find that match, we are organising another bone marrow donor recruitment screening with The Anthony Nolan Trust. The screening is kindly being hosted by the JCC at the Britannia Hotel and will be held on:

Sunday 18th November 1pm – 4pm The Britannia Hotel, Primrose Hill Road, Hampstead, London, NW3 3NA

To join the bone marrow register you will simply need to complete a medical questionnaire and give a teaspoon of blood at the clinic, staff from the Anthony Nolan Trust will be on hand to provide advice as necessary and the entire process will only take around 30 minutes.

Link and details of the event on Facebook.com

Please note – if you are already on a bone marrow register, there is no need to attend this session, please just make sure that your details are up to date.

Criteria All new volunteers must be aged 18-40, in good health, weigh over 8 stone and not be severely overweight, as minimum criteria. There are a range of illnesses and conditions that will exclude certain people from being able to register. You can read about the criteria on the ANT website www.anthonynolan.org.uk/

Can I stress that although we are running this appeal with Sharon in mind, you should be aware that donor recruitment is a serious commitment and you must be 100% willing to donate your bone marrow to ANY patient should you be a match, at any point in the future.

If you can’t make it to the clinic that day, the Anthony Nolan Trust still need your help and there are other simple ways you can join. For details, contact the Trust by phone or email and they’ll send you a registration pack.

Email: newdonor@anthonynolan.org.uk 24 hour donor hotline: 0901 88 22 234 (25p a minute)

Please spread the word to all your family, friends & work colleagues about the life saving work of the Anthony Nolan Trust and help us to find suitable potential donors that really could save a life. If you are able to set up a donor recruitment screening in your workplace, club or local community, please do get in touch.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, your help would be so greatly appreciated by my family and me.

Best Wishes

Jonni Berger

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11 responses

willsterpremium

Good luck with this. Many years ago I queued for three hours at a similar event after a friend lost his battle with leukaemia, only to be told I was too fat. Good to see you’ve highlighted this somewhat embarrassing point above.

Posted about 1 year ago by willster

braintree

Good luck with this, a lovely thing to do for your mother and raises awareness of the condition. I’m intrigued as to why fat people’s bone marrow is unsuitable?

Posted about 1 year ago by braintree

pottytimepremium online

Already on the list although I haven’t heard from them for some time. Perhaps I should chase them up.

Posted about 1 year ago by pottytime

willsterpremium

Fat people suffer under anaesthetic. I think it’s as simple as that. Also, we generally hate giving to charity, preferring to spend all our money on pies. Or something.

Posted about 1 year ago by willster

Melliepremium

i’m already registered with the National Blood Service. Hope the two databases are cross referenced…

Posted about 1 year ago by Mellie

cobo04premium

There was a similar thread a while ago by Derazeh.

I’m already on the register.

If Derazeh is watching – I still have the balls and pics of chunky men in shorts for you if needed.

Posted about 1 year ago by cobo04

jonnibgood

Thank you all for your kind words.

To clear up a few of the queries:

If you are on the National Blood Service Bone Marrow register, it is also a national bone marrow register, linked to the international registers and so there is no need to also be on the Anthony Nolan’s register too. As I said, just make sure whichever register you are on has your latest details in case they need to contact you.

The medical critieria for joining the bone marrow register are as much for your own protection as for the patient. The weight criteria is that you must have a BMI of less than 35. If you need more info then please see the following link http://web17110.vs.netbenefit.co.uk//index.php?location=3.1.1.1

We would expect waiting times on Sunday to be negligible and you should be in and out in under half an hour.

Look forward to seeing you all there and please continue to spread the word about this.

Jonni

Posted about 1 year ago by jonnibgood

faith

I’m certain that you’ve already posted this message before?!

Anyway, i’m on the NBS, I’m pretty certain they are cross referenced. In fact, I have no idea what the difference is between being registered with this one or NBS. If you are a blood doner, you get the option for joining anyway, all at the same time, with no extra queuing and stuff.

Genius.

Oh yes, you have, and i gave pretty much the same reply then too.

http://london.fridaycities.com/knowledge/events/conversations/5074

Posted about 1 year ago by faith

Beagleskinpremium

I’m not allowed to give bone marrow, but in the summer a very good mate of mine did a clinic for the same thing and I guilted many of my friends to register.

Will pass this on to those who didn’t though.

Best of luck.

Posted about 1 year ago by Beagleskin

jonnibgood

This is happening this weekend, so if you can help spread the word or even consider coming along on the day it would be most appreciated! Enjoy the weekend.

Posted about 1 year ago by jonnibgood

jonnibgood

Over 60 people came forward on the day – thank you to everyone for your support and if you didnt make it this time watch out for other screenings organised by the Anthony Nolan Trust where you can join the donor register.

Posted about 1 year ago by jonnibgood