Mrs Gecko needs your help ....
 

Hi All,
Thank you Grant for agreeing to let me post this very personal appeal for help. By using the Horizons Unlimited HUBB I am able to reach a global audience which may make the difference...

On 14th december my wife was admitted to hospital and shortly afterwards was diagnosed with having leukaemia.

We have battled our way through Christmas and New Year and my wife is fighting hard but we need your help.

We learned last week that her brother is unfortunately not a suitable bone marrow donor ; but at that moment we didn't know just how significant this news would turn out to be.

Not all leukaemias require a marrow transplant but it's a nice thing to have a ready matched donor on hand in case yours type does.

Later in the week the bomb dropped and the Professor treating my wife told us that she is in a group of sub-segment leukaemias which means she will need a bone marrow transfer to beat this.
No matter how much I might hope and pray for a quick match , it isn't going to happen easily but we do know that the more people who are registered as willing bone marrow donors , the more chance I have of keeping my wife alive.

If you aren't already a registered donor in the UK please do us a favour and get in touch with the Anthony Nolan Trust The Anthony Nolan Trust | Reg. No. 803716 / SC038827 | Home [max age 40 years] or The British Bone Marrow Registry [ max age 49 years]

If like us you live outside the UK , the Belgian organisation can be found here: Rode Kruis-Vlaanderen [ max age 50 years] and there are similar organisations all over the world. These organisations share a global registry bone marrow donor database so please get registered as soon as possible. As the search is now on for a match for my wife it will widen and span the globe to try and find a donor.

I would be grateful if you could let me know details of organisations in your country that participate in the global registry. I know they are out there but I don't know who they are or how to refer people to them.

It's a quick blood test and some paperwork and you will be in the registry. By doing so you might be the 1:50,000 chance to save my wife's life during the next few months.
Thank you

i am really sorry about reading that post. i hope your wife will get well soon. i am regular blood donor here in Turkiye and last night i gave blood to a patient who will have serious heard operation today. This weekend I'll go and complete the paperwork for being bone marrow donor as well.

hope you the best.

I just checked for the US National Marrow Donor Program and there's a drive going on right now about a 10 minute walk from my apartment. I'll be walking down there right after I take a shower and eat a late breakfast.

Thanks for your post and I really hope it works out for your wife. I've been meaning to do this for a long time and always get sidetracked.

-Dave

Super easy. No shots, I just swabbed my cheeks 4 times. It's iffy if I can do it. I've got epilepsy, but they're pretty sure I can donate since it's well treated and was caused by head trauma, not genetic. It took longer filling out the paperwork than swabbing and still it was 5 minutes.

-Dave

Gekko

Reading your post I wanted to do all I can by registering, but I am sorry to say I am far beyond the age limits you mention.

I sincerely hope others feel sufficiently concerned to register, not just for Mrs Gecko but also for the cause.
COME ON PEOPLE - DO IT!

I hope to hear of a successful outcome to both your appeal for potential donors and more your own search for a suitable donor.

My thoughts and heart go out to Mrs Gecko, you and the family.

You already know you are among friends in this community.

Fantastic people !!! Turkey, California, London , Moscow - Horizons really are Unlimited - thank you.

One of my wife's friends in the UK is doing a fundraising run to raise funds for the Anthony Nolan Trust. They are one of the main leukaemia support organisations in Europe so if anyone is wanting to help directly please follow this link: https://www.anthonynolanevents.org.u...etteOglethorpe

Mrs Gecko " Helen" , is just coming to the end of the first 5 weeks of treatment and she has done well. It has been truely awful to see what she has had to go through and spirits have been low many times but I have been able to lift her and share with her the fact that so many people are willing her to get better and are actively trying to help by signing up as donors.

She may be allowed home for a few days later this week. Her immune system has recovered from the first round of chemo and as soon as she can eat and drink the Doctor said she can come home for a while. It's only a small reprieve ahead of round 2 but it will be great to have her back at home where she belongs even just for a few days.

Thanks again for everyone's support - it really makes a difference to know that people really do care for each other when the chips are down.

I came across this website which is the registry for Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide - BMDW: Participating Registries.

The Registry of Bone Marrow Donors in Spain is EL REDMO - https://www.fcarreras.org/eng/index.htm. I'm going to the Centro Regional de Transfusion Sanguinea de Malaga‎ tomorrow to see if I can be a donor.

Good luck with finding a match and hope Mrs Gecko is on the road to recovery soon.

(Maybe if you changed the title of this thread you'd get more people reading it? I have to admit I only looked because I'd read your posts a while ago on another forum and knew your wife wasn't well.)

Thanks for those website links - very helpful information and thanks for stepping up to get yourself tested and into the registry. It really is quite an amazing thing that Globally almost 13 million are regsisterd and willing to be donors. We only need one....

I'm not sure how I can change the title of the thread title even if I wanted - but point taken - I guess it could be more headline grabbing.
Thanks for your help.

For info, the Centro Regional de Transfusion Sanguinea de Malaga is at the back of the Civil Hospital which is a long way off where Google Maps said it was.

I've signed up to be a donor de médula ósea and will be put on the EL REDMO registry. I had a really funny conversation in Spanglish with a doctor who's English was as good as my Spanish, but we muddled through. Mine was a blood test and it doesn't cost anything in Malaga. I'm not the age of eligibility here, but I'm 41 and it wasn't a problem.

I've been on the organ donor register for more than 20 years and I for one am a firm believer in an opt-out system for organ donation. I was always put off being a bone marrow donor by what looked like a painful proceedure for harvesting it, where the marrow was drawn directly from the pelvic bone. Some countries also charge you to become a potential donor and whilst I appreciate they need their funding from somewhere, it puts people off.

The doctor at the hospital explained to me how the bone marrow would be harvested if you became a doner and I was surprised at how easy and painless it now is. I hope this will convince other people to go and get registered.

Here in Spain it done using circulating stem cells (PBSC) collected by apheresis. The donor has injections for a few days of a medication that causes stem cells to move out of the bone marrow and into the blood. For the stem cell collection, the donor is connected to a machine by a needle inserted in the vein (like for blood donation). Blood is taken from the vein, filtered by the machine to collect the stem cells, then returned back to the donor through a needle in the other arm. There is almost no recovery time with this procedure and you don't need an anaesthetic.

Now, it's nothing more than a few tiny scratches for the donor, but it can be a lifeline for the recipient. Plus you've got the added bonus of knowing you contributed to another persons recovery whilst you're still alive.

BM Donor
 

Hi Gecko

I have been in touch with my Dr's and unfortunately I can't donate BM due to the fact that I myself had an virulent strain of cancer, hope you find a suitable donor really soon.

COME ON GUYS AND GIRLS LETS SEE SOME MORE RESPONSE HERE

Regrds

Chris

Quite agree.

As this case is close to us, the awareness is greater and current.
Thus it seems a good idea if Anthony Nolan Trust could get a Registration or Information desk at the Ace Cafe on the Adventure Day on 7 Feb. Or at the very least a collection tin.

I would offer to get involved approaching them (and the Ace) but am not in UK until 6th.

Just signed up via your UK link.
Bit nervous as I've never given blood before - hope you hear some good news soon :thumbup1:

I have always given blood and am registered for anyone to have what might be of use when I kick it but I am afraid I am too old to be a BM donor.

Sorry to be of no use. My thoughts are with you and yours and I hope someone somewhere can help you out.

Get Well Soon
 

Hi Gecko and Helen. All the best for the both of you. I have just been through my own wee cancer drama, and got the all clear a couple of weeks ago after surgery last year.
I have emailed the NZ register to see if I can get on it. Apparently we are linked to the Aussie register, which helps the pool.

Give her a hug from me and look after yourself too, mate.

Kind regards

Nigel in NZ

its amazing something so simple could help so much if you know about! it i will go and register
good luck mark

This is the link for people who wants to become a donor in TURKEY

BMDW: Participating Registries[mode]=liste&tx_spdirectory_pi1[modifier]=zip&tx_spdirectory_pi1[value]=TR&tx_spdirectory_pi1[pointer]=0&cHash=04fa44027a

I completed my registration and procedures yesterday, quite easy and fast .. staff was really nice and was aware what its all about ...

Hope it will help somehow ...

For France everything is here: FRANCE ADOT - Association pour le Don d'Organes et de Tissus humains

All the best for your wife.

Info for germany here: DKMS Deutsche Knochenmarkspenderdatei gemeinnützige Gesellschaft mbH (Leukämie, Stammzellen, Spende, Blutkrebs, Nabelschnurblut, Knochenmarktransplantation, Stammzelltransplantation, Typisierung) In English, Turkish and even German :)

Mrs Gecko has had a few days at home recently which we both really enjoyed. Although she is very ill and extremely tired we were able to get out to the park and into the fresh air near where we live for a while and had some friends round to visit on Saturday night. It was wonderful to see her laughing and smiling with her friends even for just a couple of hours. Just a few days out of hospital has done her a lot of good and she seemed to get stronger with each passing day but yesterday she had to go back into hospital for another long period of treatment whilst the search continues for a donor. :(

It's really great that some of you are willing and able to help as you have done. It may not be down to you to be the one to save my wife's life but you may save someone else somewhere else one day and you can only do that if you get tested and onto the international donor registry.:thumbup1: Thank you

Been a while so a quick update to those of you that have been following developments.

Mrs Gecko went back into hospital on the 22nd April and had a very rough week of chem therapy and radiation :eek3: not nice at all. Her anonymous donor stem cells arrived at around 7pm on Thursday 30th April from Hamburg , Germany and after a half hour transfusion it was done.... she received them and has to wait. Vielen dank Deutchland :thumbup1:

Today is transplant +12 days and so far there is no change in her condition. The Doc says this is normal they hope to start to see developments between 10 to 14 days after transplant . We'd have loved to have seen something by day 10 but as of day 12 we are starting to get a bit anxious. Meanshile she's in isolation, very weak and sleeping most of the time but aside from the , clinically the medical team are happy with her progress. She hasn't started speaking German yet though so maybe it will take a while longer :redface:

So the thought of the day is - live life to the fullest, hug your loved ones today - don't put it off - and make sure you look around you and appreciate life because it is all we have and we only get one shot at it.

Bonne courage Mrs Gecko!

Kira

I'm sorry I hadn't seen this thread until today. I wish you both the best; especially good health for Mrs Gecko.

I've just found out that the UAE bone marrow registry is administered at Sharjah Blood Transfusion and Research Centre which I ride past every day, just 5 minutes from work by bike.

I've given blood there before. I will visit them to see about the registry and hopefully one day can help somebody.

Amen to that.
Stephan

Update: The Blood Transfusion Centre currently doesn't have the facilities for this but a project is underway. So if you read this in 2010, give some thought to popping along.

Prompt rétablissements!! Bon courage!!

Mes pensées sont avec vous.

I often think of this thread.

I hope 'no news is good news'

Hope!
 

I'm too old to contribute and there's no BM registry here in The Gambia. I'm just writing to wish you hope and strength and love.
doc

This Christmas has been sooooo much better than last year. No hospitals , no transfusions, no injections, no long lonely nights lying awake wondering what he next day will bring......Mrs Gecko continues to go from strength to strength and although she is still not back to her oldself 100% she is really doing well. This was due to an anonymous stem cell donor from Hamburg in Germany who stepped forward and volunteered to be a hero. I can't begin to describe the gratitude and respect I have for that individual - he/she really did save my wife's life.
It's been a hell of a year for us but having come through the nightmare we are stronger for it . Our ability to appreciate the little things is so much more intense now that ever before. We don't get annoyed - silly things just don't worry us and we smile with the dawning of each new day.
We look forward with hope and optimism and would like to share a simple message with anyone who cares to listen. ...
However bad things may seem - never give up hope. When things look hopeless amazing things do happen - amazing people suddenly appear in your life and at a certain moment things start to get better. Never give up - never lose sight of what is really important.
Have a great 2010 everyone - we sure are planning to !!!! :wave:

Make a new year resolution to get on the bone marrow donors register BMDW: Home

Gecko

Reading your post is the best moment of my Christmas.

I am so pleased to read your news - and your attitude.

May 2010 bring you both all you wish - and more.

Tony

Best news in a long time!

Cheers and we wish you even better in 2010!

Great News!
 

Hi Gecko

I hope I speak for all here in saying great news and wishing you both all the best for 2010.