Help Children with Cancer Access Treatment!

Fall is a season when we celebrate many brave people whose lives have been touched by cancer - from September's Childhood Cancer Awareness to October's pink ribbons of breast cancer survivors.  In November, Bone Marrow Awareness month, we recognize and support transplant physicians, researchers, bone marrow donors and recipients.  

In many countries of the former Soviet Union, bone marrow transplants are still not available for blood cancer patients, even 50 years after this procedure was first performed.    For this reason, children from Ukraine, for example, often have to travel abroad for transplantation of stem cells from donors. 

Recently, parents of David, who is 3 years old, asked for our help.  A year ago, David started having fevers and his blood test revealed low count of platelets. He had to get blood transfusions to increase his platelets - again and again. After observation for nearly a year, David was diagnosed with myelodisplastic syndrome, a blood disorder that can only be cured by transplantation of stem cells from a donor. As doctors in his native Ukraine are not experienced in transplantations of stem cells to children, David needed to travel abroad for treatment. His family researched hospitals around the world and settled on Turkey, but they need help with raising funds for the procedure and potentially long-term immunosuppressive therapy.

Please help us support David's family and others like them.  We appreciate your kindness and care.

Our best wishes for the holiday season!