Lindsay's Voice Donates to Blood Center of WI for Marrow Donor Registry
Date: 1/13/2014 9:30:00 PM
Lindsay's Voice / Trees of Hope WI has a mission to help advance treatments for blood cancer patients. One of the main treatments for Leukemia, Lymphoma, Myeloma is a bone marrow or stem cell transplant. But, for many patients, a bone marrow match is very difficult to find. Some patients will die without a marrow match.
The Blood Center of Wisconsin works with BE THE MATCH (National Marrow Donor Registry) in order to continually search for donors that can save the lives of patients who desperately need a Match.
On Sat Jan 11th, 2014 the 2nd Annual Ozaukee Ice Hockey Marrow Donor Drive was held at the Ozaukee Ice Arena. In conjunction with their Hockey tournament, dozens of people (aged 18-44) stepped up and joined the marrow donor registry. They took 10 minutes of their time, a cheek swab, and now have the power to save a life.
Tony Navarre - Hockey Coach for Mequon-Homestead High School is alive today, because someone took the time to join the Marrow registry. In 2011, he was diagnosed with Leukemia, and nearly died. His Marrow donor match was found, in Germany. In Dec 2011, Tony received his bone marrow transplant at Froedtert Hospital. By September 2012, he was well enough to return to his teaching job and coaching the hockey team. Not only is he doing well- he took the Hockey Team to Championships !!!
Tony wouldn't be alive today, without that marrow match... He and his wife Molly are very involved with spreading the word about the need for more marrow donor registrants.
We are proud that we could donate $5,000 to the Blood Center of WI and Be The Match to continue growing the Marrow Donor Registry. Who knows... the life saved could be someone you know.
Thank you to all the supporters of Trees of Hope WI and Lindsay's Voice. Your Support allows us to continue advancing our mission to save lives.