For Kate's Sake

From a reader.  Please help if you can.  Here is the link.

Kate Kirk is 3 years old. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her parents (Alison and Doug) and her 6 year-old sister, Caroline. Both Kate and Caroline are afflicted with a rare and fatal genetic disorder called Niemann-Pick Disease Type A/B. While Caroline’s symptoms have progressed too far for treatment, Kate still has a chance to avoid the most severe effects of this terrible disease. Thanks to an early diagnosis, Kate has been approved for a potentially life-saving bone marrow transplant, but we need your help.

Comments

[Heels]

I am in tears of gratefulness.

Thank you so much. You really are v. gorgeous and divine.

[scout]

Thank you so so much. These are my neighbors across the street, and it makes my heart hopeful every time I hear of another link for Kate, another person getting her story out there.

[cathy b]

Another way people can help is to be on a Bone Marrow Donor Registry. To get on the registry you fill out a form and take a bloodtest--only a very small sample is taken. Then, in the event that you are a match for someone, they do two more series of blood tests to find an exact match.

This is the US registry, but maybe there are some international agencies as well:
http://www.marrow.org/HELP/join_the_registry.html

There is a real special need for interracial samples--often, if a person with a background like, for instance, Tiger Woods, would need bone marrow, it would be extremely difficult to make a tissue match.

I have been on the registry for 15 years. I was called once to be further tested for a young man with cancer, but it turned out that someone else was a closer match. But, the more people on these registries, the better.

[cathy b]

Another way people can help is to be on a Bone Marrow Donor Registry. To get on the registry you fill out a form and take a bloodtest--only a very small sample is taken. Then, in the event that you are a match for someone, they do two more series of blood tests to find an exact match.

This is the US registry, but maybe there are some international agencies as well:
http://www.marrow.org/HELP/join_the_registry.html

There is a real special need for interracial samples--often, if a person with a background like, for instance, Tiger Woods, would need bone marrow, it would be extremely difficult to make a tissue match.

I have been on the registry for 15 years. I was called once to be further tested for a young man with cancer, but it turned out that someone else was a closer match. But, the more people on these registries, the better.

[Laura]

I am on the registry, too. I guess it's been about 6 or 8 years. I was only called once for further testing as well--which means more blood was drawn and I was given more info as to what would happen if I was a match. But, again, someone else was a closer match.

I can't imagine how amazing it would be to actually have the opportunity to save someone's life.

[Chrisha]

Tertia,
How sweet of you to post this information. Yet,how very strange that just this morning I should read in our local paper about another young child recieving a marrow transplant and I'm right here in Northwest Tennessee. I feel compelled to do something. Can you tell me where one must go or how to be placed on the donor registery. Maybe this is a sign for me....Yes,I believe in those!!! Thanks

[Jackson]

I am friends with the Kirks and it makes me so happy to see another link to the For Kate's Sake web page. Thank you so much for taking an intrest in the problem

[Linda]

Can anyone tell me why, when I go to the website for an update, it brings up "Register.com"?

[Janet Powell Eisom aka Ms. Kesha]

I love you Kate. Mrs Kesha from summer school at Harris Hillman