Montreal Writer Needs Bone Marrow
STC-Montreal Article | Posted March 28th, 2008
A longtime friend of STC-Montreal needs our help.
Emru Townsend — who you may know as a magazine writer, technical communicator, blogger, and husband and father — was diagnosed with leukemia in December of 2007. He has been in and out of hospital for chemotherapy repeatedly over the last few months. But this is a temporary measure; Emru faces a increased risk of the leukemia coming back, no matter how successful chemotherapy is.
But you may be able to help him.
Emru needs a bone marrow transplant. The best chances for a match for Emru are from siblings, or from people of Caribbean descent. But so far, no match has been found. And blacks are underrepresented in bone marrow registries.
Although there are 11 million donors worldwide, there is still no guarantee that he will find a match. Time is of the essence as the best opportunity for a successful bone marrow transplant is in the first few months after remission.
We ask you to think hard about registering for bone marrow donation through HEMA-Quebec. To be included in the registry requires that you provide a blood sample, and volunteering for the registry does not necessarily commit you to becoming a donor. The transplant itself is not dangerous, merely resulting in soreness that fades after a few days.
Please register as a potential bone marrow doner. A simple medical procedure could save a person’s life.
More information can be found at HealEmru.com.
