The caption for the video below reads, "Less than 500 people in the United States have Diamond-Blackfan anemia, a
life-threatening blood disease. One family in St. Louis County
represents four of those cases, the children of Tim and Maggie Murry. All four of the Murry's sons, Sean,
Patrick, Danny, and Timmy were diagnosed with the disease
at birth. All of the boys will need bone marrow transplants as the only
hope for living long, healthy lives."
Tim Murry was a classmate and friend of mine in elementary and high school. I wasn't aware of his children's disease until a few years ago when Tim asked for help organizing a Bone Marrow Drive in my town, (where he grew up and I still live.) I agreed and called upon several other friends and former classmates to help out. We held the drive at three local churches one Sunday morning. It was relatively easy, a matter of helping people fill out some simple paperwork and showing them how to swab the inside of their cheek. There's an age limit, donors must be between 18 and 55 years of age, so lots of people older than that donated money instead.
Later we found out that three matches were made from our drive, though sadly none for the Murry brothers. Their loving extended family continues to organize bone morrow drives across Kansas and Missouri in hopes of finding a match. I believe they told me that one match could help two of their boys with similar blood types (or something along those lines.) The boys are smart, sweet and stinkin' cute. How can anyone resist wanting to help after you watch the video below? (It's only two minutes long.)
My heart goes out to the Murry family. I'm proud to call Tim and his pretty wife Maggie my friends. I gladly swabbed and encourage everyone within the age bracket to do so. It can be done by mail in the privacy of your own home if there are no drives near you. Find the details at: http://www.deletebloodcancer.org/
The goal is to save lives. With your help, that goal is possible. So com'on! Get swabbed!
Jamie Hill
Books We Love Author and Marketing Director
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I've never heard of this, as I'm sure many others haven't. I'm not in the age bracket, but my heart goes out to this family and other like them. Thanks for sharing this, Jamie. hopefully, they'll get a lot of donations either bone marrow or donations.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how sometimes someone living thousands of miles away can be a match.
ReplyDeleteJamie, Sending hope to this family and to all others who need bone marrow transplants. I too am beyond the age of giving but hopefully your article will send more people to consider this.
ReplyDeleteI've reached my expiration date as far as donating goes, but I'm more than happy to share and tweet your posts and hope there are younger folks who consider the need. Another reason to wish for my youth. I'm sure with all my flaws I must have good bone marrow somewhere. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a heart-wrenching position to be in. I too am beyond the age when I could help this family, but hope that they get all the donors they need so these boys can lead a normal long life. I donated my old hip bone when I had it replaced and am on the donor's list so they can take whatever is still useful from me when my time is up.
ReplyDeleteI'm too old and live on the wrong continent for this family but I know the disease because one of my daughter's friends has a small child with Diamond-Blackfan anaemia and we've been part of a fundraiser to help in whatever way we can. It's a heartbreaking illness in one child, but to have four in one family is something no parents should have to face. My heart goes out to them and my tweets are out there.
ReplyDeleteHi Jamie,
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of the disease either. How dreadful it must be for the parents and the children. I sincerely hope they can find compatible bone marrow.
Regards
Margaret