Poster

The Donation Process

It can take up to 60 days for the patient's doctor to get test results and select a donor. The patient's health conditions also are a determining factor in the process time. You may be asked to donate right away, or to wait until the patient is ready.

Types of Donation: Bone Marrow & PBSC Donation

(adapted by me from the NMDP website)

Bone Marrow donation is a surgical procedure done under anesthesia. Doctors use special, hollow needles to withdraw liquid marrow from the back of your pelvic bones. Many donors receive a transfusion of their own, already donated, blood.

^ Bone Marrow Diagram

PBSC donation takes place at an apheresis center. You receive daily injections of a drug called filgrastim five days p rior to collection-- to increase the amount of blood-forming cells in your bloodstream. Your blood is then removed with a sterile needle in one arm and passed through a machine that separates out the blood-forming cells. The remaining blood is returned to you.

Frequently Asked Questions About Marrow Donation

Q&A

adapted by me from NMDP Website

Q: How is a bone marrow match determined?

A: Doctors look for a donor who matches their patient's tissue type, specifically their human leukocyte antigen (HLA) tissue type. HLA are proteins-- or markers-- found on most cells in your body. Your immune system uses these markers to recognize which cells belong in your body and which do not. The closer the match between the patient's HLA markers and yours the better for the patients.

Q: How do I donate?

A: Join the NMDP Registry. All it takes to join the registry is a few minutes of paper work (you will be asked to fill out a health questionnaire and to sign a form stating that you understand the commitment you are making), and a small sample of blood or a swab of cheek cells for tissue typing.

Q: What happens if I match a person?

A: More testing will be done (either a blood sample or cheek swab, again, will be taken and stored) to determine if you are the best possible match for the patient. At this stage, the likelihood of you being selected as the "best" possible match is 1 in 12. If you are selected as the best match you will be scheduled to attend an information session to learn about the donation process, risks and side effects.

***NOTE: Participating in additional testing is your decision, and is conducted at no cost to you.

Did you know?

• Each year 35,000 people are diagnosed with blood cancers that can be treated by a bone marrow or cord blood transplant;
  
• Only 30 percent will find a donor match within their family'
  
• The remaining 70 percent must search the NMDP Registry for a match;
  
• 6,000 men, women and children search the Registry daily
  

Join the more than 11 million worldwide who stand ready to save a life!

"It's Good to Know a Miracle: Dani's Story"

Former NTAF fundraising family-- the Shotel's-- recently published "It's Good to Know a Miracle:  Dani's Story."  

The book is a compilation of diary entires recorded by the Shotel's during the course of daughter, Dani's, battle with leukemia.  The book takes you on a journey from prognosis to chemotherapy, from donor searches to transplantation-- and finally to recovery, through the eyes of Dani, her family and close friends.

The Shotel's will join NTAF as special guests at our 3rd Annual Transplant Donor Awareness Community Luncheon and Marrow Drive in April.  Though Dani will not be in attendance, parents, Jay and Sue, will be available to discuss the book, sell and sign copies of the book, and to share their personal experience with leukemia, marrow drives and transplantation.

The book can be purchased at Amazon.com and at the book website http://itsgoodtoknowamiracle.googlepages.com/, where you can also read additional information about the book. 

Event

^ Invitation cover created using the tools and software learned in this class.

The event I'll be blogging about for this week's assignment is not an imaginary event created for the purpose of this class, but a real, live event taking place in our very own backyard of suburban Philadelphia. The event: NTAF's 3rd Annual Transplant Donor Awareness Community Luncheon and Marrow Drive.

If you haven't already read my blog ... NTAF (where I work) is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit (with headquarters in Radnor, Pa.) that assists transplant patients and individuals living with catastrophic injury in fundraising for their uninsured medical expenses. The cost of transplantation and catastrophic injury (spinal cord injury, brain trauma and burns) can be physically, emotionally and financially overwhelming. NTAF is here to help alleviate the financial burden incurred.

Each year in honor of National Donate Life Month (April), NTAF holds a community luncheon to celebrate those who donate-- those who give others a second chance at life. This year, to commemorate 25 years of dedicated service to the transplant community, NTAF has chosen to couple its annual luncheon with a bone marrow registration drive. The goal: to register 250 potential marrow donors to the NMDP Registry (see previous blog "NMDP" for more information regarding the Registry). SEE DETAILS BELOW.

Luncheon
April 25, 2008
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Radnor Financial Center
in the Atrium
150 N. Radnor Chester Road, Radnor PA 19087
(Honored guests: Dave Huddleston, Fox 29 co-anchor and marrow donor; Dr. Jack and Pat Kolff, NTAF co-founders.)

Bone Marrow Drive
Same time, same building, different location. The drive will be held in Wing A of the Radnor Financial Center. The drive is separate from the luncheon. NTAF will pay for the $52 tissue-typing fee-- a measure of our commitment to the cause.

More logos and Graphic Image

Graphic Image ^

Logos

I found at later that I did this assignment incorrectly. But here are my "signs" or "banners" per say that include logo elements. I'm a beginner, bare with me.