We Need YOU!

As a friend or family member - or even a stranger if you are reading this here, we are are asking for your help. A relative of ours was recently diagnosed with a highly aggressive form of lymphoma at the ripe old age of 33. His doctors at Baylor are working aggressively to eliminate the cancer, and part of his treatment is a stem cell transplant to rebuild his immune system (think of it as a system reboot after that nasty blue screen).

Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find a suitable donor yet. While there are millions of donors already registered, they have not found a "good enough" match. His doctors tell us that he's mostly likely to find a compatible donor in the area where we grew up, which happens to be in the Lincoln, NE area. Our family has set up a donor drive in conjunction with the the National Marrow Donor Program to get more on the donor registry and find a donor for him. Even if you suspect you are not a match for him, there are thousands of others who are also in his position (or will be).

We would appreciate very much if you would consider participating in the donor drive - or by passing the word along to someone who may be able to participate.
The drive will be Saturday, September 27, 2008 from 8am to noon
at the Southwood Community Center (5000 Tipperary Trail).
There is a small fee ($25) for the tissue typing. Minorities are currently free due to high demand and funding that is available.
We need an appx. head count in advance, so please send an email to donordrive @ kottwitz.org if you're planning to come. There are some businesses and people who are donating to the cause by offering prizes for registering as a donor.

You can get additional information about the drive, prizes, as well as all of those questions not already answered by visiting: http://donordrive.kottwitz.org By the way, the organization heading the donation drive is a 501(c)(3) just in case there was any worry about that. If you cannot attend, you can order a "typing kit" online for $52 - all costs are tax deductible either way and they also accept monetary donations for those who do not meet the health requirements.

Again, please share this information with others who may be willing to help. An official flier is on the home page of the website that was setup. If anyone is interested in posting the information at their office or church, they can reference that image or I can send you a copy.

Again, we are grateful to anyone willing to participate. Thank you and have a great day!

If you have questions you can also contact me via Grand Central - located on the right. (Please leave a message though)