WSJ profiles Board member

The Wall Street Journal

This week the Wall Street Journal‘s “Donor of the Day” column recognized Charlotte Moss for her efforts to help bone marrow, stem cell, and cord blood transplant patients and their families. Charlotte became very familiar with the cause a decade ago when her brother battled leukemia and she was his donor.

While accompanying her brother through his treatment, Charlotte witnessed firsthand the struggles of transplant patients and their families. She told the Wall Street Journal:

I saw people that I knew weren’t going to make it….Most importantly, there was nobody around to give them that psychological support to boost them up during their treatment, because they couldn’t afford to be there. And that really put the lump in my throat every day.”

Charlotte Moss has been a long-time supporter of The Bone Marrow Foundation and serves as a member of the Board of Directors. She will be honored at the Foundation’s Be A Lifeline Gala being held tonight in New York City.

On the line: Up Front Costs

Photo: “House” by Tax Credits

Katie has significant expenses, as she will need to re-locate near the transplant center for 3 months. Her rent at home is $800/month. Though she can be reimbursed $1,500/month for lodging at the transplant center from insurance, she needs to come up with the money up front and does not have it….The patient is in desperate need of funding to help pay for her portion of lodging ($1,500 for 3 months = $4,500)

Katie’s doctors decided that an allogeneic transplant was the best course of treatment for her aplastic anemia. In addition to housing, she also listed transportation and co-pays/insurance premiums as her areas of greatest need.

In order to give a more clear idea of the depth of need faced by bone marrow, stem cell, and cord blood transplant patients and their families, we are sharing excerpts from actual applications to The Bone Marrow Foundation’s Patient Aid Program. The names have been changed to maintain confidentially, but the stories are straight from the applications.

To learn how you can make a gift to support the Foundation’s efforts to help transplant patients and their families, click here.

Patient Art Show

Michele Russell

April 29 was a very special evening at The Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center’s Patient Art Show, a four-day exhibit sponsored by The Society’s Patient Art Show Committee and the Patient Recreation Department.

Michele Russell, a survivor and a speaker at one of The Bone Marrow Foundation’s past galas, and Duane Bailey-Castro, a Bone Marrow Foundation patient and survivor, showcased their artwork. Michele has a mural business and Duane is a Social Science teacher for 6th and 7th grade in a private New York City school.

Duane Bailey-Castro

“Seeing their paintings and photography was so inspiring,” said The Bone Marrow Foundation’s Executive Director, Christina Merrill. “I am thrilled to have their artwork on our walls because they are so meaningful to the Foundation.”