Andrew Park Finds Donor, Timothy Song 40+ Days Past Transplant!

Andrew Park and his Dad
Andrew Park and his Dad

Andrew Park finds a bone marrow donor!

Andrew Park, the 17 year old boy from Illinois who ODPC honored with a bone marrow drive last month, is now in remission and has found a bone marrow donor in the registry!

From his father’s blog:

Dr. Sonali started by saying since his chromosome 7 and 8 have diffused and with Andrew being in remission, his chances of survival just got much better and he is in IDEAL shape to go into transplant. Continue reading “Andrew Park Finds Donor, Timothy Song 40+ Days Past Transplant!”


Dennis, Part 2

Dennis’ procedure went well. The procedure itself took an hour and a half or so, and he’s been recovering since. He told the nurse he didn’t need pain meds today, so it sounds as if things are okay. Hopefully he won’t need them tomorrow, but I expect he’ll be very sore for the next couple days.

It’s some sort of amazing serendipity that one of my close friends’ fiances gets called to donate. I grew up with Dennis’ fiance (Melissa) and have known her since early elementary school. Funny anecdote: when he told Melissa that he got the call to donate, her response was, “So you’re going to do it, right?”

They’re a badass couple.

I’m really in awe of what he’s done.


Dennis

Dennis in Benin
Dennis (left), recently back from his Peace Corps post in Benin, Africa

My friend’s fiance, Dennis, is donating bone marrow tomorrow morning at 6:30am for a 60 year old woman in California whom he’s never met.

He’s undergoing the more invasive marrow donation (through the hip) procedure at Georgetown Hospital.

If you read this, please say a prayer. For the procedure, a speedy and pleasant recovery for Dennis, and the woman in California who needs this transplant and the loved ones affected by her illness.

Thanks.


A Match is Found

The fiance of one of my long time friends got the call a few days ago that he was a match to be a bone marrow donor. He registered for the registry around 2004/2005 in California, didn’t hear anything, went to the Peace Corps in Africa until last year, and was contacted in October 2011 in Washington DC that he was match. Six years later, across the country.

He got a blood test recently to confirm the match.

They’re scheduling his donation for November now. They say he needs to do the hip-based donation versus the PBSC donation, which (I think) usually points to the idea that the recipient is younger, like an infant or toddler. The recipient has acute mylogenous leukemia (AML), the same leukemia that I had. The hip-based donation is the less comfortable of the two, but he’s willing to do it anyway, and even postpone a planned vacation to the UK in order to do so. That speaks to the character and empathy of Dennis.

I’ve asked him if I can be there with him throughout the process, and he’s very graciously accepted my request. I want to learn, I want to document, I want to share his story. I know what it’s like to live with cancer, but I don’t know what it’s like to donate bone marrow. I’ve wondered for a while now what I can do to make the donation process real to others, given my inexperience, and Dennis’ story will be that opportunity.

This will be a life-changing opportunity for him. Seriously life-changing.