Gregory F.

Hall of Fame Story: Maria--Hope you have had a blessed life. Would like to hear from you. Greg

Alfonso Gaspar

Hall of Fame Story: On Thursday, August 12, 2004, I donated bone marrow at the Georgetown University Hospital and successfully saved the life of a gravely ill young child suffering from aplastic anemia. This bone marrow donation, on my part, never would have happened if I had never volunteered to join the Department of Defense Marrow Program back in April of 1999 while I was still enlisted in the United States Army. The eleven-year-old boy's health was compromised due to the aplastic anemia that he needed immediate medical intervention from a bone marrow donor in order to survive. I received a phone call sometime in mid-April from a coordinator from the DoD Marrow Program, informing me that I was a potential match for this boy. By 2004, I had already forgotten that I had volunteered and had donated a blood sample in April of 1999 while serving with the armed forces. I was directly asked if I was still willing to donate my bone marrow through a very painful and invasive operation that would leave scars, both physically and emotionally. The bone marrow coordinator informed me that the operation would consist of the removal of about one Liter (~35 ounces) of bone marrow from the iliac crest of the pelvic bone. This part of the pelvic bone is the closest to the surface of the skin and the doctors would need to make two small incisions in order to insert their "special" needles, which I will not describe graphically here. I never hesitated being the good soldier from the past and said "yes" and signed-my-name to all nineteen times that I was asked if I was sure about what I was volunteering myself into. The nurses reminded me that I can say "no" at any time and return home because what I was doing was already above and beyond the call of duty and that I was volunteering for an invasive operation requiring in-patient hospitalization for a couple of days. After two blood sample collections to confirm the match and to measure my level of healthiness I was a "confirmed match" for the boy. From mid-April to my fateful trip to the Georgetown University Hospital, I prepared myself physically, mentally, and spiritually for something that would change my life forever and someone else's. The operation was a success! The boy survived all the intensive chemotherapy and radiation he was bombarded with ten days prior to the operation. However, he did have a mild case of Graph Versus Host Disease (GVHD), which was a slight speed bump to recovery. Furthermore, the boy was supposed to stay in the hospital for one hundred days after the operation but he was released early from his cancer center on "Post-Operation Day #74." I knew, I gave him some good stuff!

Jayne Kavanagh

Hall of Fame Story: Donated to a dying teenage boy. Got a card last week to say he is all clear and wants to meet after the two year post transplant. He lives in North America and Jayne lives in England. She was a 100% match.