Hi all- dont know how far this story has gotten across the US , but now I am involved and looking for your help. If you are in the MA /NH area, this is the little boy whose website pleading for help was removed by Miscrosoft (since restored) because some ******* said it was a bad site. I am pleading to the New England community to try to get a few more bone marrow drives going to help save this little boy's life . The bone marrow he needs should be of Greek or Mediterranean descent- his parents are not a match. I cant even imagine what the parents (and little Giovanni) must be going through every day. There is also a way to be tested directly for Giovanni's match and the parents know how to do that. Five-month-old Giovanni is at Children’s Hospital in Boston, where he’s struggling for his life. Giovanni is suffering from a compromised immune system and will most certainly die if he doesnt have the transplant. I am looking for HAMBer help who can help me locate a place to have a bone marrow drive in MA or NH. Or better yet- find a location that is having a drive,get tested and see if you are a match . If anyone is intersted in getting this little boys story out there. His website is: www.helpgiovanniguglielmo.org and you can see upcoming drives as well as info and more pics of this adorable child. I just saw the sadness in his eyes and knew my fellow HAMBers can help him and his family somehow. You can also offer donations to help with expenses not covered by insurance by donating to: Giovanni Michael Guglielmo c/o Citizens Bank Capital Plaza Concord NH 03301 I hope Im not out of line in going to the only community I know with a big heart and asking for your help. From the bottom of my heart -Thank you This is not a hoax , I have spoken directly via email to the father and their story was in the Boston Globe.
I was tested and ***ume put on a database years ago- anybody know how to find out if it's still out there, as in do I need to do it again? Thanks, Kurt
Hi LEon: I beleive its like a blood test but Im not exacxlty syre. If you want to try to be tested directly for Giovanni- go to his website and contact the parents - I guess you can be tested at Dana Farber in Boston JUST for him . Otherwise, you can go to any of the drives listed on his website and they take your info and put it into a national database- if you are matched with someone then they contact you to donate more. Its such a lifesaving istuation to try and help.
Upcoming Bonw Marrow drives in M***achusetts Jan. 30 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the YMCA, 316 Huntington Ave., Boston. Jan. 30 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the YMCA, 36 Arthur B. Lord Drive, Reading. Jan. 31 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the YMCA, 380 Chestnut St., Needham. Jan. 31 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the YMCA, 725 Lexington St., Waltham. Feb. 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Franklin Arena, 45 Ford Hill Road, Needham. Feb. 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Elsie A. Hastings School, 111 E. Main St., Westboro. http://www.helpgiovanniguglielmo.org/ Prospective donors should be between the ages of 18 and 60 and in good health, without any history of cancer, heart disease or diabetes. People may not donate their bone marrow specifically to Giovanni, however, because all marrow donations go into a national registry (866-875-3324), where they are matched to people with the same tissue type.