Lifeline Project Profiles: Sandra, Nile, and Christopher
Meet Sandra, Nile, and Christopher. They are the latest Lifeline Project participants to be profiled in our ongoing series highlighting the needs of transplant patients.
Sandra
Sandra
Last year, Sandra was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). She immediately began receiving three rounds of chemotherapy. Once that was complete she received a bone marrow transplant; her donor was her only sister. Unfortunately, Sandra’s journey has been very grueling physically, emotionally, and financially. Her husband has been unable to work due to an injury and she has been unable to work due to her lengthy treatment. They need assistance paying for insurance premiums and medical costs.
Nile
Nile
Nile, the youngest of triplets, was diagnosed with sickle cell disease when he was three weeks old. He was thirteen months old when his journey of pain crisis and multiple hospitalizations began. As he continued to grow, the disease became more difficult to manage and doctors suggested a bone marrow transplant. His brothers were not a match, but they were able to find an unrelated donor. Currently, his family needs help with his transplant treatment expenses.
Christopher
Christopher
Christopher is a loving father and a kind-hearted friend who has been enduring a steady routine of doctor visits and treatments since 2005. He currently has a diagnosis of multiple myeloma for which he has received chemotherapy, blood transfusions, multiple bone marrow biopsies’, a stem cell transplant, and medicine for bone strengthening. Christopher is focusing on getting well and back to being a working father, but in the meantime he needs help with the increasing medical expenses surrounding his transplant.
To help these or any of the Lifeline Project participants, click here.
Lifeline Project Profiles: Scott, Cecile, and Ariel
Meet Scott, Cecile, and Ariel. They are the latest Lifeline Project participants to be profiled in our ongoing series highlighting the needs of transplant patients.
Scott
Scott
In December of 2010 Scott was diagnosed with plasma cell leukemia (PCL), an aggressive, rare cancer involving plasma cells in the blood. Scott, a newly married IT professional, has since endured two rounds of chemotherapy, both with great success. Once the chemotherapy is completed, Scott will need two transplants. The first transplant is an autologous stem cell transplant, and the second one is an allogeneic stem cell transplant. Scott and his wife need help covering the donor search expenses.
Cecile
Cecile
Cecile, a married mother with a five-year-old son, was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), and underwent a cord blood transplant this past July. Prior to her diagnosis she worked as a licensed practical nurse, but due to her treatment is currently unable to work. Her husband has also needed to stop working to relocate with her for her transplant and recovery. Cecile and her family need assistance with expenses related to their prolonged stay far from home.
Ariel
Ariel
Ariel, a very strong little girl, was diagnosed with sickle cell disease shortly after her birth in 2006. She is now four years old and recently underwent a bone marrow transplant; one of her little brothers was her donor. Her mother stayed with her at the transplant center; while her dad stayed with her two brothers back home. They need funding to cover the travel and transplant related expenses.
To help these or any of the Lifeline Project participants, click here.
Sickle cell may affect NFL playoffs
Even with the NFL playoffs on the line, Pittsburgh Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin is pulling the team’s leading safety, Ryan Clark, from Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos. Clark has sickle cell trait, which means while he does not have sickle cell disease, he is susceptible to some of the complications associated with the disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, athletes with sickle cell trait may be at a higher risk for “heat stroke and muscle breakdown when doing intense exercise” and that conditions such as low oxygen levels and high altitudes “could be harmful for people with [sickle cell trait].” Clark last played at the Bronco’s stadium that sits a mile above sea level in 2007, after which doctors had to remove his spleen and gallbladder, he lost 30 pounds, and he was out for the rest of the season.
Ariel
In the United States, it is estimated that 90,000 to 100,000 people, most commonly African Americans, are affected by sickle cell disease. Like Ryan Clark, the Kelly family has felt the effects of sickle cell. Both parents and son Pierre have sickle cell trait, while daughter Ariel and son Kalin have sickle cell disease. When Ariel’s doctors determined that a bone marrow transplant was the best course of treatment for her, they tested members of the family and discovered that Pierre was a match. Unfortunately, Pierre is not a match for Kalin.
Click here to learn more about the Kelly family.
