Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Testing andTransplants

YOU TOO CAN SAVE A LIFE
YOUR HELP IS URGENTLY NEEDED

There are currently several Jewish patients diagnosed with leukaemia and aplastic anaemia who are desperate for a Stem Cell [blood] or a bone marrow transplant. This will be the best chance to save their life. Unfortunately only one in three of these patients is lucky enough to have a relative whose tissue matches theirs. The other 66% must find an unrelated donor in their community as their only chance of survival.

Since tissue typing is ethnically and regionally specific, the likelihood of these patients finding a match is highest within the Jewish population. Other groups, for example Greek or Chinese patients, likewise must seek matching bone marrow in their own respective communities in order to increase the probability of finding a matched donor. To date, however, there are very few Jews listed with the Red Cross Bone Marrow Donor Registry in Australia. Hence this campaign, set up in order to encourage more people in the community to understand the importance of this issue and to register as potential donors. The probability of finding a match between an unrelated donor and a patient within the same ethnic group is 1 in 50,000 !

The search is now extremely urgent for leukaemia patient in South Africa, Bernard Aronowitz, 32 year old father of 2. His background is Latvian/Lithuanian but sadly no one in his large family has been found to be compatible for a Stem Cell [blood ] Transplant. In Australia urgently awaiting a match is Vivian, a 40 something year-old Chabad congregant of South African descent whose many relatives and friends here & overseas have not been found to be compatible…….so far, that is. It could, however be …….YOU !

Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Transplants do save lives, so you too can HELP by registering as a potential donor on the Australian Stem Cell & Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR). ............... a simple blood test is all that it takes to type your tissue !

Please note

Donors should be between 18 and 40 years old , in good health & had not lived in Great Britain between 1980 &1996 for more than 6 months
A small sample of blood is collected for tissue typing
Should a match be found, a second sample is tested for a mixed lymphocyte culture test.

Once compatibility is established, a donor may agree to have a very small amount of bone marrow removed, usually from the pelvic bone, by needle puncture under general anaesthetic and, of course, under strict hospital supervision. To date, more than 111, 000 bone marrow transplants have been performed. NO COMPLICATIONS ( other than local pain ) AND NO LONG-TERM ADVERSE SIDE EFFECTS TO THE DONORS HAVE EVER BEEN REPORTED.

Bone marrow, like blood, regenerates in a very short time !

Peripheral Blood may alternatively be collected from donors for a Stem Cell Donation (PBSC). In this procedure the stem cells circulating in your body’s blood system are collected after preparing you for this by injecting a hormone-like substance called G-CSF. This procedure does not require an anaesthetic and is performed either at a Hospital or a blood bank.

Bone marrow and stem cell transplants actually do save lives !

Screening (blood) tests are held every Sunday between 9 and 11 am at Wolper Jewish Hospital, 8 Trelawney St. Woollahra by appointment only. Please call (02) 9328 6077 or 0414 780 444

You can also join the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry at any of the Red Cross Blood Bank Centres. Call (02) 9229 4444 or ABMDR on (02) 9229 4318 for more details. For Melbourne call (03) 9694 0290

For further information please contact Shula Endrey-Walder on 0414 780 444
or email: shula@endreywalder.com