Dave Pressler Making Stuff

I got an email from Amanda Visell last week while I was on vacation. Amanda is sending out the word about Bone Marrow donation and people becoming a part of the National Bone Marrow Registry to help her friend Justin who has just relapsed with Leukemia. None of his family members are a match and in these cases it is crucial to find a match for a bone marrow transplant. I on behalf of Amanda and her friend Justin urge you to get tested to see if you are a match.

If you are in the greater LA area, you can go directly to City of Hope to donate blood and get tested at the same time. If you aren't in the LA area,here are some links for registering with the National Bone Marrow Registry, the entire registry is a worldwide network and is also linked in with the Red Cross, so there are lots of places to go if you aren't in the LA area. Here are links to figure out where the closest is for you:
http://www.marrow.org/HELP/Join_the_Donor_Registry/Join_Now/join_now.html

This cause is very special to me, I have been a member of the Red Cross National Bone Marrow Registry since 1990 and have donated to complete strangers in need two times. One time was for a 9 month old baby who was diagnosed with a rare immune disease and needed a transplant to live. Miraculously we were a perfect match. Now that baby is 16 years old and just got his drivers license, I keep in touch with the family and get updates every year. If I never did any thing else in my life that one thing would be enough.

Amanda just sent me this update:

Heres an update for anyone who can help in the LA area. In conjunction with
City of Hope Swindle magazine is hosting a bone marrow drive for Justin at their office.
Here's the info:

Tuesday Jan 6th
10 am-2 pm
R. Rock office
3111 Los Feliz blvd suite 100
Los Angeles, CA 90039
323-669-8819

No blood! Just mouth swabs. No cost! Donations would be great.

Please be aware that by getting tested for Justin, you will be added to the national bone marrow donor registry. When a volunteer registers as a potential donor, his/her tissue type is listed on the donor file and is compared with the tissue type of all patients in need of a transplant. You can withdraw at any time, but keep in mind that you may be someone's only hope for survival.

This is so important to Justin and the easiest way to help if you can show up.

If you end up getting tested no matter where you are, send me an email with your address and I'll send you a drawing.

Thanks, and please spread the word.
Amanda

Here's a link for more event info on Vinyl Pulse.