Bone marrow drives help save lives
JOE TROMBELLO
News Writer
Bone marrow drives save lives. Just ask senior Ann Gurucharri, co-commissioner of the Howard Hall bone marrow drive, and her father Vince Gurucharri, a 1967 Notre Dame graduate who was diagnosed in December 2001 with Myelodysplastic Syndrome, a disease curable only with a bone marrow transplant.
"It was because of drives like Notre Dame has that I have been given a chance again at life," Vince Gurucharri said. "Donors save lives."
The class of 2002 sponsored the first bone marrow drive two years ago in honor of classmate Connor Murphy, who was diagnosed with leukemia. Connor eventually found a match in the national registry and underwent a transplant, but died due to complications. Two other members of the Class of 2002 also died of leukemia, and numerous faculty, staff and alumni have been either directly or indirectly affected by bone marrow drives.
Because of Ann's personal connection with the need for marrow, she decided to organize a bone marrow drive last year in the hopes of finding a match for her father, who failed to match with his 10 siblings.
Ann said that doctors gave her father a one in one-million chance of finding a donor.
The national bone marrow registry found Vince a donor after four months and completed a successful bone marrow transplant May 15, 2002 — a date he considers his new birthday. Vince has been selected to speak in June to all the living transplant recipients that have passed though Barnes Hospital at Washington University in Saint Louis, the third largest donor program in the country.
"When I heard last year that Howard Hall and our daughter were going to have a bone marrow drive for people like myself, I got goose bumps and cried," Vince said. "I volunteer to talk to patients through the national registry now and there is nothing as sad as to listen to a patient or family member say that they have been waiting and so far no match has been found and time is running out," he said.
Anonymity prevents a transplant recipient from learning the identity of their donor until one year after the transplant, but Ann said that she could not adequately express her desire to meet the donor who saved her father's life.
"On my graduation day, we get to find out who [the donor is]," she said. "We've been writing letters to [the donor] and I'm really hoping that I can meet him [or her.] I just don't know how you can thank someone like that."
Ann said that last year's bone marrow drive, which successfully registered 642 potential donors into the national registry, testified to the willingness of the Notre Dame community to come together in service to help others.
"The day of the drive was amazing because in the midst of a semester that was personally trying, this was a moment when I had the support of my class [and others] for a total stranger. It gave me hope in the people around me. For me, this was the hope that I needed to get through it all," she said.
Ann said that this year's bone marrow drive, being held today in the LaFortune Ballroom from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., is prepared to register 1,000 people into the national bone marrow registry. The procedure consists of a brief medical screening and blood test, which takes about 15 minutes. The cost, typically $60 per person, is subsidized through funding from The Shirt project.
Patricia Brubaker, assistant director of University Health Services and a registered nurse, volunteered her time last year to draw blood for testing. She attributed the success of last year's drive to volunteers from Health Services and the South Bend Medical Foundation who donated time and supplies. Brubaker, whose sister was a recipient of a bone marrow transplant, said that last year's student response was surprising to her.
"I was overwhelmed with the response from the students. People were very kind and I was impressed by that," she said.
Health care professionals from Chicago and South Bend will be available to perform the blood extraction, conduct the medical screening and paperwork and answer questions. Ann said that 90 people, including students and health care professionals, will be on hand to assist.
"There are so many people who come together to make a drive [happen.] I wonder what their story is and how they got involved and if they lost someone," Ann said.
Like many other participants in the drive, Howard Hall rector Kathy Brannock understands the need for marrow. A close friend of her sister's developed cancer and successfully found a donor match, but was too weak to receive the transplant.
"When I was in college and my sister was in high school, she had a really close friend, Michelle, who died of leukemia. After Michelle passed away, our friends organized an awareness [of the need for marrow]," said Brannock. "It was a personal issue for me. I saw what the possibility could have been for Michelle had she been better."
Howard Hall is currently raising funds to start an endowment to ensure that the bone marrow drive will be continuously self-funded in the future.
Next year Howard Hall residents may request part of their housing fee go towards the endowment fund and organizers say they are exploring other fund raising options, like football concession stands and the solicitation of Howard Hall alumnae for donations.
Brannock said the importance of an annual bone marrow drive remains paramount.
"It's just important that we do [the bone marrow drive] every year," she said. "Who knows how many people we could help on this campus. Who knows when you may need [marrow] or someone you know may need it," she said.
Co-commissioner Camilla Pollock will head the project next year after Ann graduates. Each year, a Howard senior and a junior spearhead the bone marrow drive so that one member will have experience in planning for the upcoming year.
Pollock, who has a blood disorder and has had bone marrow extracted for testing, said that she understands the fear that many potential donors have about registering.
"All the questions that people have about being a donor I can answer because I have gone through all of the medical testing," she said.
Jessica Howell, a senior who worked on the drive last year, said that the number of people who volunteered to register astonished her. She talked about students who went in between their classes, braved long lines and frequently checked back multiple times in the day in order to register.
"I was most struck that in times of need the Notre Dame community never fails to come together. It's an example of support and selfless giving," she said.
Chris DesBarres, a volunteer and donor at last year's drive, said that the outpouring of support was strong.
"I was working there at the end and people were still lined up down the staircase waiting to donate. Even when we ran out of needles, people were reluctant to leave," said DesBarres. "It was a great way for the Notre Dame community to demonstrate its willingness to step in and help, even when the people you're helping are complete strangers," he said.
Howell said that she wanted to register last year but could not when supplies ran out. She said that she is excited to register this year and believes that the extra capacity this year will be sufficient.
"Sprits were very high. The most disappointing [problem last year] was seeing when we ran out of vials and tests and had to turn people away," said Howell. "So many people had really been wanting to get on the list," she said.
Ann mentioned that only students who are committed to the possibility of giving bone marrow should register today.
"Joining the registry should be thought of as a commitment to donate. It's devastating for a family to think they've found a match [and have the donor refuse to donate]," she said.
Ann also said that students should not be deterred or frightened by the bone marrow extraction procedure.
"It is slightly painful, but you're saving a life. Where is the choice to be made?" Ann said.
The two previous bone marrow drives held at Notre Dame have resulted in one successful match. One more donor is in the final stages of the testing process and six more donors have been contacted for further testing.
There are currently over 3,000 patients in the United States searching for a matching bone marrow donor.
All News Stories for Thursday, April 10, 2003
