New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Back in January, New Bedford Guide did a story on Chloe Harding, a baby from Rochester who was diagnosed with leukemia at just four-months-old. Since that time, Chloe has gone through several rounds of chemotherapy, many lumbar punctures and bone marrow tests, in addition to receiving numerous blood and platelet transfusions. Despite this, Chloe has proven that she is a fighter, and while she has some bad days, she is still full of smiles and has an amazingly wonderful disposition.
While she and her family battle this disease in the hospital, the citizens of Rochester and the surrounding towns have banded together to help the Hardings in any way they can. The Chloe’s Night Benefit Dinner, which took place at the Highlander in Acushnet, was an unbelievable success. I attended this event, and can tell you first hand that the turnout was nothing short of astounding. The parking lot was packed, as was the street on both sides. People were jammed inside, buying tickets for the 50/50 raffle, donating checks, and buying t-shirts, all in support of this brave little girl. Officially, there were over 450 people in attendance. The eventual winner of the 50/50 raffle even ended up giving all the money to the Hardings. It was quite a night.
Other fundraisers have included a spaghetti dinner, which was attended by 150 people, 58 players and 50 bystanders at a poker tournament, and all 430 tickets to the Rochester Fire Department’s Smiles for Chloe Comedy event at the Hawthorne Country Club on April 9th have been sold! A recent blood drive in Rochester yielded roughly 60 pints of blood, which is crucial to Chloe’s treatment. Additionally, another poker tournament will take place at Cafe Funchal on April 29th. For tickets to that event, please call Paula Church at (508) 728-3722. And as always, you can visit the Chloe Harding Fund website and donate there.
Yet even with all the fundraisers, there is something Chloe needs that money can’t buy. Chloe needs bone marrow. Bone marrow isn’t universally with all humans, meaning that, somewhat like blood, different people need different types of marrow. In order for Chloe’s body to be able to use another person’s bone marrow, that person has to be a match for Chloe.
High doses of chemotherapy or radiation destroy not only cancer cells, but also bone marrow, which is rich in blood-forming stem cells. In order to replace damaged marrow, stem cells are harvested from either the blood or the bone marrow of the cancer patient before therapy, or from a genetically compatible donor. In order to remove unwanted cells from that sample, such as Chloe’s leukemia cells, it is incubated with antibodies that bind only to stem cells, and then infused back into the patient’s body. Once in the bloodstream, the stem cells travel to the bone marrow, where they implant themselves and begin producing healthy cells.
In order to test for compatibility, a cheek swab is taken from each potential donor. Then, doctors look for a donor who matches their patient’s tissue type, specifically their human leukocyte antigen (HLA) tissue type. HLAs 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 patient.
Bone marrow donation is not something to take lightly. It involves a surgical procedure that you can read about here. Also of note is the fact that even if you are not a donor match for Chloe, you may be for someone else. If you are found to be a match, more testing will be done to see if you are the best possible match for the patient. Another cheek swab or blood sample may be required, and you proceed with the donation, you will be able to learn some information about the person you are donating to, including the patient’s age, gender, and the disease they are being treated for.
If you are selected as the best donor for the patient, an information session will be scheduled to inform you on the donation process, risks and side effects. At that time, you will be told what type of donation the patient’s doctor has requested — either bone marrow or cells collected from the blood, called peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC).
Here are some quick facts to consider before you make this very important decision.
- You must be between 18 and 60 years of age.
- You must be willing to donate if you become a match for another recipient in the Donor Registry.
- You need to fall within the healthy guidelines. The weight chart and list of automatic deferrals can be found at here.
The Bone Marrow Drive to find a possible match for Chloe is set for April 10, 2011, between 1 P.M. and 5 P.M. It will take place at:
First Congregational Church
7 Constitution Way
Rochester, Ma 02770
No set appointment is needed, although they need to have a head count so the coordinators of The Dana Farber Cancer Institute Donor Program can plan accordingly.
Please consider giving the ultimate gift and become a donor candidate for Chloe or another recipient. We need as many volunteers as possible. Please bring your insurance card, as many Massachusetts Insurance companies will cover the cost HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen) Testing. If you do not have insurance, or your insurance does not cover the testing, you will NOT be required to pay.
If you are willing to be tested and put on the National Marrow Registry list, please use the following contacts. They will need your name, phone number, and email address. If you are already in the National Donor Registry, please DO NOT test again. If you are a match, they will find you.
Mike Daniel
(508)-789-7104- Please leave a message if there is no answer.
mikshe@aol.com
Marjorie Skrutski
Facebook – Marjorie Skrutski
(508)-763-8373 – Please leave a message if there is no answer.
mskrutski@gmail.com
