Thursday, June 10, 2010

Seeking your help, Need Cord Blood Donation

My apologies if you’ve already received this messaging from another source but I’m writing to ask your help please to spread the message to your constituencies (yes, that means students, alumni, faculty, friends, family, OBGYNs or other healthcare providers you know, whoever will listen) about our very time-sensitive search to help save the life of a Yale student, Mandi Schwartz (no relation).

Mandi has leukemia and, in short, needs a stem cell transplant from an umbilical cord donation.

We have 60 days to find a woman of German/ Russian/ Ukranian descent (or any combination thereof), anywhere in the world, who is willing to donate her umbilical cord blood after delivery.

We actually need to find 200 women because the doctor (Dr. Tedd Collins is the lead doctor on this search) needs that many in order to have a decent chance of finding two donors who match sufficiently close.

200 women, 60 days, it’s a big world with lots of babies expected. I’m calling on you shamelessly and obnoxiously (as Dr. Collins says, “you can apologize later”) to use your communications avenues to spread the word-both through your professional and personal circles.

Expectant parents can learn more at becomemandishero.org.
The donation process is free, non-intrusive to mother and child, and can save either Mandi’s life or someone else’s (if the expectant couple signs up and it turns out they are not a match for Mandi, they may very well be a match for someone else).

My goal is to be able to look her parents in the eye and be able to tell them I did everything in my power to help, regardless of the outcome.

Thanks truly for anything you’re able to do.

With my gratitude,

Stephanie Schwartz

HELP US SAVE A LIFE:
LOOKING FOR EXPECTANT MOTHERS DUE JUNE OR JULY: becomemandishero.org

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