Maxine was recently diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) a form of blood cancer. A bone marrow transplant is essential for her survival. Maxine is a wife, mother of two young girls, sister and daughter. She is also a well regarded physical therapist, who has brought healing to many people throughout her career.
Maxine has yet to find her perfect match through the national donor registries. When her friends contacted Gift of Life regarding holding a donor drive in her honor, we were shocked and disheartened to learn that over 9000 previously collected potential donor samples were waiting to be tested due to lack of funding. Maxine's miracle match could be sitting in a box, just waiting to be found.
Each test costs $54 to process at the lab. Please consider sponsoring one or more tests, or even part of a test, every little bit helps. By clearing up some of the waiting list of samples we have the opportunity to find a match for Maxine, as well as others who are in need of transplants. You can contribute by clicking on the button on the right side of the page.
If you would like to be tested, you may order a swab kit (no blood test necessary) via this page, and have yourself added to the donor registry.
Please join Maxine's donor circle to stay updated on our progress. Share Maxine's donor circle with your friends and family via email, facebook, twitter, etc..
December 1, 2011Happy Holidays!
Just about a year ago, Maxine was diagnosed with MDS. In January of 2011 we launched this campaign to find her a bone marrow match. As we learned that Gift of Life, one of the national donor registries, had a backlog of over 10,000 previously collected samples sitting in a warehouse, we knew we had to do something. A potential match for Max could've just been sitting in a box waiting to be found. After raising over $50,000 in just a few months and testing over 1,100 samples we received some amazing news - Maxine's match had been found. In working with Gift of Life, we were told for each 1,000 samples tested, there was usually one match. We have miraculously made seven matches, two of which have already resulted in transplants.
Maxine is still recovering from her peripheral stem cell transplant this past July. It's been a long road with quite a few bumps, but every day she gets stronger as does her brand new immune system courtesy of a selfless donor. There are still people out there though, like we were, searching for donors for a friend, family member, or colleague. We can imagine that they wonder if their loved one's miracle match is just sitting in that warehouse. Gift of Life's backlog has grown to over 14,000. Please, as you consider your end of the year donations consider sponsoring a test for $54 or even part of a test. Also, please consider joining the registry, all it takes is a cheek swab to save a life!
September 19, 2011The recovery continues
Maxine is continuing to recover in NYC, now almost two months post transplant. She tires easily, which if you know Max, you can imagine how frustrated she gets!
As part of her recovery, Maxine requires regular blood and platelet transfusions. Donations of blood and platelets (any blood type is okay) may be made specifically for Max at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in NYC. If you live in the area, and can spare an hour or two, Max and the team would really appreciate it. Many within our circle have been kind enough to already help us out, but more blood is needed. Details about donating can be found at http://bit.ly/pURfId . Appointments are necessary - there are day, evening and weekend times available.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your continued support.
July 12, 2011Exciting news!!!
It's been a long road, but we are thrilled to announce some very exciting news! Maxine's miracle match has been found, and she is almost ready to receive her life-saving transplant.
Maxine will be entering Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital early next week, have an intensive round of chemotherapy - and then have her transplant. A long recovery period will follow, but Maxine is feeling very positive and is so grateful for everyone's support.
While we will never know if all the donors we've had tested have produced this miracle match, we'd like to think that it did. Our achievements have been fantastic, finding donors for 5 patients in need of transplants. However there is still more work to be done in adding more people to the registry. Gift of Life is currently searching for donors for 2 babies in need of transplants. Please consider being tested for the registry, you could save a life someday!
May 27, 2011Spring updateIt's been some time since we have communicated with you regarding our journey to find Maxine a donor. In the last five months, we've raised over $50,000 and added over 1000 new people to the national bone marrow donor registry. It's a remarkable accomplishment, and due to our efforts three people battling various blood diseases have found their miracle matches! This is something that we can all be proud of, and Maxine is thrilled that we are helping others as well.
In searching for Maxine's donor, we were mindful that she had many hurdles to overcome before being ready to receive a peripheral stem cell transplant. Please remember to keep Maxine in your thoughts and prayers as she continues on her journey. We hope to have more news to share with you very soon!
March 14, 2011further update
Things have gotten a little bit quiet around the Match for Maxine page, but be assured we are still actively fundraising and searching for Maxine's perfect match!
Maxine has completed what will hopefully be her final round of chemo, and in a few weeks will be having a bone marrow biopsy to see if her body is ready to receive and transplant.
To date we have sent over 800 test kits to the lab, including from some of you who have decided to join the registry. In the process we have made a match for another person who is suffering with MDS. There is a saying in the Jewish tradition that to save one life, is to save the whole world.
On Tuesday, March 15th 5:30pm Maxine and Gift of Life founder Jay Feinberg are going to be on the radio with Lisa Wexler (author of Secrets of a Jewish Mother, with her sister Jill Zarin of the Real Housewives of NYC) to talk about bone marrow donation. Tune in locally on WNLK 1350 AM or via live stream (and video stream) at lisawexler.com.
February 9, 2011A drum roll please...Life has gotten pretty exciting here for the Match for Maxine team over the last couple of days. Just to update you on a few highlights:
- So far we have have raised enough funds to have 690 kits from the wait list processed and added to the registry. Additionally 40 members of our donor circle have signed up to be donors via Gift of Life's online system.
- There was a great article written about Maxine for the Wilton Patch (http://wilton.patch.com/articles/help-save-a-wilton-womans-life) definitely check it out!
-This coming weekend there are several stores in the area that will be offering special ways you can help raise funds for the donor circle. Hawley Lane Shoes (Stamford, Shelton, and Norwalk) will be donating $20 from every pair of Uggs sold this Saturday and Sunday. Krik-it Clothing for Kids, Magnolia, and Une Minette all located in Wilton Center will be donating a percentage of their sales from this weekend's indoor sidewalk sales (thurs-mon) to the donor circle. We are so grateful to these local businesses for helping us on our journey to find Maxine's match.
- Many of you have emailed us regarding an update on how Maxine is doing. Below is an update from her!
February 9, 2011DEAR LIFESAVERS, Yes, that is what all of you are, incredible people who are helping me save my life. We are lead by two of the most courageous and heroic people I know, Shira Friedman and Steve Field.
There are truly no words to express my deepest gratitude and thanks for all the monetary and test kit donations received to date. Your support and good wishes keep my spirits way up and my stress level down which is exactly what the doctor ordered during this donor waiting period.
Many of you have asked about my current medical state which I am happy to share. I just finished my third round of chemo a week and a half ago and feel great. I still work full time and will continue to do so until the transplant. Since I have a very active job (orthopedic physical therapist) I do get fatigued but my coworkers and office manager are fantastic and I rest each day at lunch time to rejuvenate. Everyone at home has been pitching in and we are dealing with everyday normal challenges of raising a 7 and 11 y.o.
The next step in the process is to go through another round of chemo, followed by a bone marrow biopsy (ouch). If my oncologist and my transplant physician feel I am ready to receive the transplant AND we have a willing donor I get an admit date to enter Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC. If there is no donor at the time I’m ready OR I’m not ready to receive the transplant I will continue on the chemo until all the stars are aligned and everyone is ready and available at the same time.
Many of you have also asked how I found out I had MDS. I actually have another unrelated medical condition that was discovered approximately 6 years ago. I needed to take medication for that condition which needed to be monitored with my blood levels. My neurologist at one point was uncomfortable with the findings and referred me to a hematologist/oncologist. At that time my hematologist/oncologist just “watched and waited”, a term they use in the medical world, for two and a half years. He had his suspicions about MDS after one and a half years and the first bone marrow biopsy however, MDS gets over diagnosed and needed more confirmatory testing. He unfortunately got what he was looking for on November 4, 2010 and I was diagnosed with MDS.
So that’s my story. My journey continues to have a bright outlook as we continue to search for my donor and that is because of all of you in the donor circle. Your cards, gifts, good wishes and positive vibes are making this an incredible life experience instead of a dead end. There are no words to express enough thanks and gratitude to all of you, my lifesavers.
Love,
Maxine
January 28, 2011Growing strong At the conclusion of our first full week of fundraising, we are sending approximately 200 samples to the lab. Bringing our grand total to 460+ donor kits being registered. Each kit has the potential to be a match for Maxine or someone else who is in need of a bone marrow or stem cells transplant. Our rapid progress is really incredible!
Lots of ideas are in the works for the upcoming weeks. We will keep you updated here and also on our new Facebook page (you can find it under Match for Maxine).
Thank you again to those of you have already supported our fundraising efforts. If we haven't heard from you yet, please be as generous as you can. Every single dollar we raise is being used to test potential donors.
January 21, 2011What an amazing week!We are completely blown away by the immediate support you have all shown. Over $15,000 raised, 278 potential donor samples will be sent to the lab today. Every single one holds the potential to be a match for Maxine, or someone else in need of a bone marrow transplant.
A lot of questions have come in over the last few days, so just to clarify.
1. If you are already in the National Donor Registry then you do not need to be retested for Maxine. It is likely that you are not a match for her, or you would have already been contacted. BUT, you can help us by funding another donor who may be a match. Being in the registry can and may save someone's life someday, and we thank you for that.
2. There is no minimum donation. $54 dollars is the amount suggested, as this is the cost for one test. We get that economic times are tough right now- but every little bit really helps. You can select "other amount" from the drop down menu on the contribute page. Also, don't forget about matching funds from your employer.
3. Several people have asked why sponsored donors in the box on the right is so low, when as of this writing we have actually sponsored 278 donors. Simply, Gift Of Life's computer is having a hard time keeping up with our radically awesome success. The money ticker however is right on target, so just keep your eye on that!
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generosity. For those of you who haven't given yet, we hope to hear from you soon. And please continue to share our page (you can use the link on the right hand side) with your friends and family. Maxine is heading into a chemotherapy week, and the support from everyone is making her feel so much stronger.
January 19, 2011Off to a great start!Our page has only been live for a few hours, and we are off to a fantastic start!
If you would like to make a contribution, please make sure you choose "My Donor Circle Allocation" then "Match for Maxine".
This way we can be assured that the money that we raise is being used to test donors that are more likely to be a match for Maxine based on the parameters set by her doctors.
Thank you for being so generous and keep spreading the word!