Carter Nedley Foundation Teams up with Gift of Life
Jul 27, 2011 by Gift of Life
News
Carter Nedley was a well-loved, joyous child. He was your typical toddler whose infectious smile and laughter lit up a room. Carter loved to play with his toys and watch Big Bird and Elmo on Sesame Street. He was his parent’s pride and joy.
Carter was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) in 2008 and lost his battle with the disease two years later. His legacy lives on through a foundation established in his honor, The Carter Nedley Foundation. His parents, Lisa and John Nedley, created The Foundation to serve children and their families in Northeast Ohio affected by cancer. Events are held to improve the quality of life for pediatric cancer patients and financial support granted to families of pediatric cancer patients. Additionally, Lisa and John have become strong advocates for blood donation and bone marrow recruitment drives.
Increasing the number of donors in the bone marrow registry is close to Lisa and John’s hearts as Carter received a cord blood transplant before he passed away. Lisa, who is on the registry, has already received a call informing her that she was a potential match for a patient in need. While Lisa did not go on to actually donate, she was ecstatic to be identified as a potential match and continues to raise awareness about the need for donors.
Ever since Lisa and John volunteered at a bone marrow recruitment drive in 2010, they have made a concentrated effort to encourage everyone they meet to get tested and become a volunteer donor. In June 2011, The Carter Nedley Foundation participated in Northeast Ohio CureSearch Walk, where they educated many individuals about bone marrow transplants, and subsequently registered 34 new potential donors. Their willingness to help save a life is inspirational and strengthens The Foundation’s resolve to register as many potential donors as they can.
The Carter Nedley Foundation’s commitment to raising awareness continues this week at The Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. The have teamed up with Gift of Life and the Group of Aspiring Leaders (GOAL), an organization of young professionals at The Cleveland Clinic, for a four-day bone marrow donor recruitment drive on the Clinic campus. Together, The Carter Nedley Foundation and Gift of Life hope to “give the gift of life” to children battling cancer.
To find out more about Gift of Life and The Carter Nedley Foundation, please visit www.giftoflife.org and http://carternedley.org. The Foundation has also set up a donor circle through Gift of Life’s website, which supporters can join and track the number of donors who have joined the registry at a tribute to Carter: https://www.giftoflife.org/dc/The-Carter-Nedley-Foundation/blog.aspx.
