passing along the message....please take the time to read.


Hi Everyone,

As many of you know, Sherwin (docofmind) was diagnosed with a relapse of his leukemia two weeks ago. Currently he is going through high-dose chemotherapy to try and get the disease back into complete remission. He's been at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center since Monday (6/27). His only hope now is to find a bone marrow donor match, and have a bone marrow transplant if and when a match is found. They are finishing the complete analysis of his bone marrow, and then we will begin the process of looking for a possible donor for a transplant. The doctors will search the national (and some international) registries of potential donors. However, many of you have expressed interest and willingness to be tested and put onto the national registry in hopes that you might be a match for Sherwin (or someone else).

I'm currently gathering names and phone numbers of people in the Southern California area who are interested in getting typed to be a potential donor. When I have names/numbers of interested parties, we will then set a date and time for a marrow drive. Potential donors should be between the ages of 18-60, and in good health. The testing at the drive will involve only giving a small sample of blood and signing a consent form. IF YOU (OR ANYONE YOU KNOW) IS INTERESTED PLEASE EMAIL: jenwong49@hotmail.com. PLEASE PROVIDE ME WITH THE NAME(S) OF INDIVIDUAL(S) WISHING TO BE TESTED, PHONE NUMBER, AND EMAIL ADDRESS. Feel free to email me for more information on the donation process, or to lend support in other ways. I will then contact you with further information regarding the date/location of the marrow drive. We are looking at a weekend date toward the end of July or early August 2005.

For information on being tested in areas outside of the Southern California area, please go to: www.bonemarrowtest.com for a list of drives in your city.

Thank you so much for your time, love, and support. Sherwin is so grateful to have such wonderful friends and family...and so am I. Please pass along this to anyone you think might be interested in joining National Bone Marrow Donor Program.

Love, Jenny Wong

jenwong49@hotmail.com

***Please understand that being typed and put onto the donor registry is a decision that should not be made lightly. It is important to realize that if you are put on the registry, you may be a match for someone desperate for a transplant. While you can decline to proceed with marrow donation at any time after joining the registry, doing so may be devastating for a potential recipient who is waiting for a transplant. For more information on becoming a donor/the donation process, please visit: www.marrow.org


**************

For those interested in being tested and put on the registry, please go to: bonemarrowtest.com and type in the name of your city/state. This website will direct you to the locations and dates of the marrow drive(s) in your community. You don't have to mention Sherwin's name, as he will be checked against anyone who joins the registry (which is updated daily.) It is important to note that this is a time-sensitive issue, and being tested before mid-August would be best.

(It takes 8-12 weeks for the lab to finish analyzing the potential donor's blood sample, and we are hoping to find Sherwin a match in the next 4-5 months.) Thank you so much for your generosity of spirit and willingness to help.

we are still having a bone marrow drive specifically for sherwin toward the end of july/beg of august? it will be in the san fernando valley or beverly hills area. if you want to come and lend a hand to support that, that would be great. definitely go to www.bonemarrowtest.com to find another drive closer to you if that is more convenient!!!

thank you guys for all your love and support!!!!

Sherwin is doing well and his morale is on the up n' up considering the circumstances. he's in n' out of the bed staying postitive and all the words and support has made a world of difference. thank you SO MUCH on behalf of his friends and family!!! you guys definately rock! 8)

 

I wish him the best of luck

 

Goodluck! I have been on the donor list for about 10 years... no one ever calls me though.

I do get fairly regular mailings from them.

 

I wish him the best of luck. I went to Brakezone the other day to pick up some ATE Super Blue and saw his cellphone number on a post-it note stickied to a desk. An older gentleman was sitting down working the desk, probably in his 60's or so. Was that Sherwin's dad?

Best wishes

 

the one w/ the nice tan? haha yah that's his dad!

thanks for the support everyone!

i will be sure to send your messages to sherwin and his family!

 

YOU COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!

We are holding a bone marrow drive in honor of my boyfriend, Sherwin Porat. He is 27 years old and was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia in April 2004. After being in remission for 13 months (and spending 7 months out of the last year in the hospital), Sherwin's leukemia relapsed, and his only hope for a cure is a stem cell transplant. Currently, he is receiving chemotherapy at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. If you would like to by typed to see if you are a potential match and put on the National Marrow Donor Program Registry, please join us:

WHEN:
Sunday August 7, 2005 2:30pm-5:30pm

WHERE:
Medical Offices of Robert K. Hanson, MD
22600 Ventura Blvd., Suite 104
Woodland Hills, CA 91364

HOW:

Getting "typed" as a volunteer donor involves just a simple blood test. To register as a donor, you must:

1. Be between 18-60 years of age and in good health (no autoimmune diseases, previous cancer/chemotherapy, etc.) and not been tattooed in the past 12 months.

2. Complete a consent form

3. Give a small sample of blood at the drive

(Please visit: www.marrow.org for more information about joining the National Marrow Donor Program Registry.)

RSVP: jenwong49@hotmail.com

Please email me (Jenny Wong), if you can, to confirm your attendance at the drive. (We're just trying to get a rough estimate of the number of people being tested.)

If you are unable to make the time/date/location of this drive but would still like to be typed, please feel free to contact me or visit: www.bonemarrowtest.com for information on other drives that might be more convenient to you.

***Sherwin and I thank you for your generosity of spirit and your willingness to help!! I look forward to seeing you at the drive!

Thank you so very much,

Jenny Wong

P.S. If you would like to help contribute financially to help offset the price of the testing, we will also be collecting donations at the drive. Checks can be made out to: "National Marrow Donor Program" and you will receive a receipt (donations are 100% tax deductible.)

 

please give Sherwin my best....

 

I'll be praying for Sherwin.

 

don't forget if you are interested in doing this to RSVP with jenny. the drive will be held on the 7th of August.

also, a brief update with sherwin is that he is receiving the chemo pretty well (considering the circumstances) but has been having fevers up to 103

 

Count me in for $25 for the bands.