Friday, November 26, 2010
frienship thoughts
"Friendship, it begins when two people choose each other. But what happens when we outgrow the choice. When little by little our paths diverge, our needs change and one day we wake up and realize we need to choose something different." - Erica Strange, Being Erica.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
More stamps....
This next part wouldn't be complete unless I discussed my love for Las Vegas. I know that when I talk about Vegas, my voice gets more explosive, my smile gets bigger and I just get to a 'happy place'. I have been 16 times I think, and for the most part each time with different people. So the experiences are always different.
In October 2003, on our last night of our trip, Shari and I went in search of $1 blackjack tables. We found them at the Sahara hotel and casino. Little did I know that playing $1 blackjack that night would allow me to meet one of my best friends today. To make a long story short, Brad was there that night as well, and ended up playing blackjack with us - all night long! Since we were leaving the next day, we exchanged email addresses, and I guess it is like they say - the rest is history!
I have probably travelled with Brad more than anyone, now that I think about it. I went twice to New York to visit him, twice to LA to visit him, he has been here twice, and we have been to Nassau, Paris, Cancun and New Orleans....WOW - that is really amazing actually. So, as you can imagine, the memoriest that I have from these trips are numerous.
I think I need to start with Paris. We went there for my 35th Birthday. We did so many amazing things, like going to Versailles, the Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, Notre dame, and more. But on my actual birthday, we went to the Moulin Rouge (http://www.moulinrouge.fr/). If you can picture this - sitting at the Moulin Rouge, being served "real" french Champagne by white gloved servers, eating escargot and watching the Can Can being danced in front of you. I know that Brad could do without the escargot, but for me, it was something I will NEVER forget.
And the food - don't even get me started on the food! I said I would try something new everyday, and I did. There was jambalya, po' boys, gumbo, etoufee and who could forget beignets at Cafe du Monde (http://www.cafedumonde.com/) WOW!! The wait was worth it...
On our last day we ate brunch at a place called Court of Two Sisters http://www.courtoftwosisters.com/
It is a really historic building and the story of the two sisters is on the attached website.
they take you to the back courtyard where they have jazz playing and you have a beautiful buffet lunch. It was so amazing, and it was a great way to end our amazing weekend.
I think that I will have to continue my adventures....as there just seems to be more and more now that I have started to write about them.
Stay tuned.....
Stamps in my passport
I was travelling a few weeks ago and was at the aiport looking at the stamps in my passport. This trip was the last time I would be using this particular passport. Now, to most people that may not mean anything, but to me, a passport is part of your history, your timeline. Where you have been, who you were there with, and the memories that you created during that time. I have since applied for me new passport (mug shot photo - why can't you smile?) and will be getting it next week.
So, as I put the old, not yet expired one away, (that is a rip off, pay for five years but have to get a new one in four and half) I am remembering all the good times I have had on the trips I have taken.
I was recently in Los Angeles visiting my friend Brad and he introduced me to a few of his friends. As we talked about my job, they each asked independently, "what was your favourite place you have visited?" I am asked that a lot, and the answer is complicated, since every trip, with every person you travel with, creates amazing memories. I have had special memories and 'favourite' moments in so many places along the way.
I thought I would share a few of them with you.
My med cruise with my aunt. There were so many amazing things that we saw, but here are just a few:
Rome - The Trevi Fountain - what a beautiful spot. In the middle of the city, as you turn the corner from the buildings, appears this incredible fountain. You are supposed to turn around and throw your money backwards over your left shoulder into the fountain as you make your wish.
The Spanish Steps, the Collesium, the Pantheon...all amazing....but of course, you can't stop in Rome without....PIZZA and GELATO! What can you say, the pizza was the best I have ever had, and the gelato was outstanding. Forget Baskin and Robbins and 31 flavours - the Italian Gelato flavours are like nothing you have ever had before.
Barcelona - a world class city, with a great hop off hop off bus tour that is worth taking if you are on a cruise and only have a few short hours.
But you can't go to Barcelona without going for a walk on Las Ramblas. A pedestrian street filled with great shops, restaurants and amazing buskers. They are about every 20 feet and they each do something unique, funny, and leave you thinking - how are they doing that? And of course, tapas....the food was amazing...We had such a good time on Las Ramblas, that we almost missed the ship. You can imagine the two of us running for the ship, they pulled up the gangway right as we walked on. We were "this close" to missing the ship....
Florence - what can be said about Florence? Again, on a cruise you have very limited amounts of time, but enough time to go to the leather market and buy purses (one regret, not enough purses were purchased) and the Pontevecchio...and to the glove store, to get fit for custom cashmere lined Italian gloves. If you are on facebook you may remember my rant about losing my leather gloves at Walmart this past winter. Now you understand why - they were custom fit, purchased on the Pontevecchio with my aunt, in Florence. I hope that whoever took them and didn't turn them in, is at least enjoying them. They were so beautiful.
I went to Greece, as a FAM trip with other travel agents. One memory really stands out for me. We were in Santorini, which if you don't know, is built on cliffs (http://www.santorini-greece.biz) They took us up the mountain by bus, but we were on our way to get back to the ship. You can go down the mountain by donkey or cable car - no I didn't go by donkey. While waiting to take the cable car down, we sat in a taverna that was overlooking the Agean sea and when you look back at the mountain, all you can see is the whitewashed homes and the blue roofs. It was what you always see in pictures in magazines and brochures, and here I was, sipping wine and eating the most amazing calamari I have ever tasted while looking at the spectacular beauty.
I went to Alasksa on a cruise. It was my first cruise experience, and it was amazing. I remember the day we we in Juneau and when I walked off the ship and down the pier and saw all the crab traps beside the ship, I just knew what would be for dinner - and sure enough it was - Alaskan king crab. How could you not have that for your entree? It was the freshest seafood you would ever get in your life. Not too mention I ordered anything and everything that was made with salmon all week. Smoked salmon every day for breakfast, and everything in between.
It was not just the food that was amazing on the cruise. Cruising in the Glacier bay was outstanding. You can't really get an idea of how big the glaciers are, and how deep they are under the water. You can hear a big crack, like the sound of a thunderclap, and then you turn your head and watch pieces of the glacier fall into the ocean. The glaciers appear to be blue, and they explained to us the oxygen gets trapped in the water as it freezes which makes it appear to be blue.
As I write this entry I realize how lucky I have been to have the experiences I have had in my travelling days. I am celebrating 20 years in the travel industry this year, and that in itself is pretty amazing. Where I have been and what I have seen in 20 years....WOW!
Stay tuned for more....
So, as I put the old, not yet expired one away, (that is a rip off, pay for five years but have to get a new one in four and half) I am remembering all the good times I have had on the trips I have taken.
I was recently in Los Angeles visiting my friend Brad and he introduced me to a few of his friends. As we talked about my job, they each asked independently, "what was your favourite place you have visited?" I am asked that a lot, and the answer is complicated, since every trip, with every person you travel with, creates amazing memories. I have had special memories and 'favourite' moments in so many places along the way.
I thought I would share a few of them with you.
My med cruise with my aunt. There were so many amazing things that we saw, but here are just a few:
Rome - The Trevi Fountain - what a beautiful spot. In the middle of the city, as you turn the corner from the buildings, appears this incredible fountain. You are supposed to turn around and throw your money backwards over your left shoulder into the fountain as you make your wish.
The Spanish Steps, the Collesium, the Pantheon...all amazing....but of course, you can't stop in Rome without....PIZZA and GELATO! What can you say, the pizza was the best I have ever had, and the gelato was outstanding. Forget Baskin and Robbins and 31 flavours - the Italian Gelato flavours are like nothing you have ever had before.
Barcelona - a world class city, with a great hop off hop off bus tour that is worth taking if you are on a cruise and only have a few short hours.
But you can't go to Barcelona without going for a walk on Las Ramblas. A pedestrian street filled with great shops, restaurants and amazing buskers. They are about every 20 feet and they each do something unique, funny, and leave you thinking - how are they doing that? And of course, tapas....the food was amazing...We had such a good time on Las Ramblas, that we almost missed the ship. You can imagine the two of us running for the ship, they pulled up the gangway right as we walked on. We were "this close" to missing the ship....
Florence - what can be said about Florence? Again, on a cruise you have very limited amounts of time, but enough time to go to the leather market and buy purses (one regret, not enough purses were purchased) and the Pontevecchio...and to the glove store, to get fit for custom cashmere lined Italian gloves. If you are on facebook you may remember my rant about losing my leather gloves at Walmart this past winter. Now you understand why - they were custom fit, purchased on the Pontevecchio with my aunt, in Florence. I hope that whoever took them and didn't turn them in, is at least enjoying them. They were so beautiful.
I went to Greece, as a FAM trip with other travel agents. One memory really stands out for me. We were in Santorini, which if you don't know, is built on cliffs (http://www.santorini-greece.biz) They took us up the mountain by bus, but we were on our way to get back to the ship. You can go down the mountain by donkey or cable car - no I didn't go by donkey. While waiting to take the cable car down, we sat in a taverna that was overlooking the Agean sea and when you look back at the mountain, all you can see is the whitewashed homes and the blue roofs. It was what you always see in pictures in magazines and brochures, and here I was, sipping wine and eating the most amazing calamari I have ever tasted while looking at the spectacular beauty.
I went to Alasksa on a cruise. It was my first cruise experience, and it was amazing. I remember the day we we in Juneau and when I walked off the ship and down the pier and saw all the crab traps beside the ship, I just knew what would be for dinner - and sure enough it was - Alaskan king crab. How could you not have that for your entree? It was the freshest seafood you would ever get in your life. Not too mention I ordered anything and everything that was made with salmon all week. Smoked salmon every day for breakfast, and everything in between.
It was not just the food that was amazing on the cruise. Cruising in the Glacier bay was outstanding. You can't really get an idea of how big the glaciers are, and how deep they are under the water. You can hear a big crack, like the sound of a thunderclap, and then you turn your head and watch pieces of the glacier fall into the ocean. The glaciers appear to be blue, and they explained to us the oxygen gets trapped in the water as it freezes which makes it appear to be blue.
As I write this entry I realize how lucky I have been to have the experiences I have had in my travelling days. I am celebrating 20 years in the travel industry this year, and that in itself is pretty amazing. Where I have been and what I have seen in 20 years....WOW!
Stay tuned for more....
Sunday, June 13, 2010
One bite at a time
Hey everyone, Lisa here....it has been a while since you have all heard from me. Most of the people that read this blog are on facebook and read the updates that Sylvia has been religiously posting throughout Shari's transplant and her journey pre and post. It is hard to write about something that isn't really 'happening' to you, so I thought it was better to take a break and wait until I had something personal to write about.
As you may or may not know, Shari has had a very difficult time eating since the transplant. It has not been an easy time for her. During her weekly visits to PMH, she had discussions about the fact that she has GVHD (Graft vs. Host Disease). I am not going to try to explain it, but you can google it and you can read about how it is not all bad, and it is common in transplant patients (http://www.marrow.org/PATIENT/survivorship_Ed/#)
One of the symtoms Shari was/is having is the inability to produce saliva. That makes it almost impossible to eat. I didn't know this at the time, but at the James Taylor concert I bought Shari cotton candy, which she loves. You all know that the minute cotton candy hits your month, it melts. Because she had no saliva, the candy stayed the same consistency, and didn't melt in her mouth. It freaked her out.
Shari went down to PMH on June 1st and was finally admitted to treat the GVHD with IV meds and steriods. It really was the best place for her to be. Get the meds she needs, get the rest she needs and the ability to build up her strength and her ability to eat again.
I have been down to visit a few times. Each time I visit I ask what I can bring. When I went to visit before my dad's party, her request was a piece of cake by Roberts cake. It was hard, but I saved her a small piece of cake. On Monday (Jun 7th) Shari asked me to bring a pizza sub from Subway, with extra sauce. I thought, wow, if she wants that, I will bring it. So, when I got there, I re-heated it, and she could take ONE bite. The bite was the size of a pea. The sub was too dry for her mouth. The cake on the other hand, melted in her mouth, so it was so much better for her.
Fast forward to yesterday. I was planning my route downtown and Shari asked me for a special treat, McD's. So, off I went to PMH and searching for a mid/downtown location of McD's to pick up the food. I didn't have much sucess, so the french fries were cold and not enjoyable....BUT Shari was able to eat a 1/4 of a hamburger - SUCCESS!
She told me that she was going to be able to go home for the afternoon and evening. So, since I was there, I waited for her to finish her meds and 'sprung' her out for the day. On the way north Shari told me that should would love something from Baskin and Robins, so off we went to have ice cream, which I can say, she finished almost ALL of a kiddie size scoop in a cup. FANTASTIC.
Later that night, I met up with her, Mike and Sylvia at the Fish House for dinner. Let's forget the service, which was less than stellar, it was about Shari, and the fact that she had some clam chowder, some bread, a couple of bites of caeser salad, some baked potato and LOBSTER!!
The dinner was more than just eating. It was this rare opprotunity to talk openly and candid with Mike and Sylvia. It was a chance to get to know more about the family that I have spent the last year with them and all their ups and downs of this journey that was handed to their family. Time to talk about how to hopefully begin the mental and emotional healing now that the physical healing and the cancer is now gone.
I am glad that I have seen the little milestones that Shari has gone through since being at PMH this time. I know that she will continue to fight, eat, grow stronger every day. I don't know how one does that, but the key is one day at a time. One bite, one spoonful, one day at at time.
You will get there Shari, I know it.
I will see you soon!
As you may or may not know, Shari has had a very difficult time eating since the transplant. It has not been an easy time for her. During her weekly visits to PMH, she had discussions about the fact that she has GVHD (Graft vs. Host Disease). I am not going to try to explain it, but you can google it and you can read about how it is not all bad, and it is common in transplant patients (http://www.marrow.org/PATIENT/survivorship_Ed/#)
One of the symtoms Shari was/is having is the inability to produce saliva. That makes it almost impossible to eat. I didn't know this at the time, but at the James Taylor concert I bought Shari cotton candy, which she loves. You all know that the minute cotton candy hits your month, it melts. Because she had no saliva, the candy stayed the same consistency, and didn't melt in her mouth. It freaked her out.
Shari went down to PMH on June 1st and was finally admitted to treat the GVHD with IV meds and steriods. It really was the best place for her to be. Get the meds she needs, get the rest she needs and the ability to build up her strength and her ability to eat again.
I have been down to visit a few times. Each time I visit I ask what I can bring. When I went to visit before my dad's party, her request was a piece of cake by Roberts cake. It was hard, but I saved her a small piece of cake. On Monday (Jun 7th) Shari asked me to bring a pizza sub from Subway, with extra sauce. I thought, wow, if she wants that, I will bring it. So, when I got there, I re-heated it, and she could take ONE bite. The bite was the size of a pea. The sub was too dry for her mouth. The cake on the other hand, melted in her mouth, so it was so much better for her.
Fast forward to yesterday. I was planning my route downtown and Shari asked me for a special treat, McD's. So, off I went to PMH and searching for a mid/downtown location of McD's to pick up the food. I didn't have much sucess, so the french fries were cold and not enjoyable....BUT Shari was able to eat a 1/4 of a hamburger - SUCCESS!
She told me that she was going to be able to go home for the afternoon and evening. So, since I was there, I waited for her to finish her meds and 'sprung' her out for the day. On the way north Shari told me that should would love something from Baskin and Robins, so off we went to have ice cream, which I can say, she finished almost ALL of a kiddie size scoop in a cup. FANTASTIC.
Later that night, I met up with her, Mike and Sylvia at the Fish House for dinner. Let's forget the service, which was less than stellar, it was about Shari, and the fact that she had some clam chowder, some bread, a couple of bites of caeser salad, some baked potato and LOBSTER!!
The dinner was more than just eating. It was this rare opprotunity to talk openly and candid with Mike and Sylvia. It was a chance to get to know more about the family that I have spent the last year with them and all their ups and downs of this journey that was handed to their family. Time to talk about how to hopefully begin the mental and emotional healing now that the physical healing and the cancer is now gone.
I am glad that I have seen the little milestones that Shari has gone through since being at PMH this time. I know that she will continue to fight, eat, grow stronger every day. I don't know how one does that, but the key is one day at a time. One bite, one spoonful, one day at at time.
You will get there Shari, I know it.
I will see you soon!
Monday, May 31, 2010
"Make a Wish"
I haven't started work yet today, and just finished watching a video piece on the Today Show. It was a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Make a Wish Foundation. The little boy in the piece had a rare form of Leukemia. His wish was to meet a WWE wrestler that he idolized. As I watched, I am reminded that it doesn't matter if you are six like that little boy, or 34 years old like Shari. I am happy that I was part of something that made a wish for Shari come true last Friday night.
Shari and I love James Taylor. I started to listen to "JT" way back when I went to camp Northland. To me, music is very powerful. You remember where you were when you heard a song, how it made you feel, and the people you were with and the experiences you had.
That has continued to this day, for Shari and I. When JT comes to town, we have to go. It is as simple as that. Until this year. When we first found out that he was coming to town, Shari had just found out her match was found. She told me that she didn't think that we would be able to go this year. So, we never bought the tickets and I put it out of my mind.
Last week, Tuesday May 25th, Shari found out that she was cancer free. CANCER FREE! Her transplant was 75 days ago (at that time). That news really helped her turn a corner in her healing. She took her car out of her garage for the first time in almost a year, and drove it!
Which brings us to Friday May 28th. I was out with my mom and my nieces and received a call from a friend. The call was, "Have you spoken to Shari? You have to phone her right now. You are going to James Taylor tonight"....HUH????? So, I phoned another friend, who turned out to be our make a wish angel - saying that she had four tickets for us to the concert.
When I spoke to Shari, she sounded very tired, and I wasn't sure how this was all going to work. But I knew that it was a gift. Shari was cancer free, and we were going to JT - together. And I was going to see her for the first time since February 28th, before her transplant.
So Shari, Ashley and I embarked on our journey. We arrived at the concert late to avoid the crowds. We ALMOST didn't get a parking spot, but there were angels ALL around. One car drove out of the lot as we were driving in. So, we took the last spot in the lot.
We arrived at our seats (5th row) and just looked at each other and said, "can you believe we are here". I don't know if I have the words to explain how it felt. To be sitting watching JT (and Carole King) with Shari. Shari had several emotional moments, as did I. The song "Fire and Rain" was very emotional for me, and of course, "You've got a friend". After we stood for the ovation, we just hugged.
That was the last song before the encore. We had to leave before the crowds, so I gave Shari the choice to stay or go. She just looked at me and said, "they are going to sing Up on the Roof, I just have a feeling"...which is her song. So we stayed, and they came out and started to sing Up on the roof. Right after that we dashed out before the crowds and went to the car.
As I read back what I have just written, I realize that it doesn't even touch the surface to what I am (was) really feeling about that night. To see Shari, for the first time in three months, to know that she is cancer free, to know that she is going to live....what can I say?
Here's to all the moments we have already shared, and all the moments we have yet to share.
Friday, November 20, 2009
The Climb Lyrics - Miley Cyrus
"I can almost see it,
That dream I am dreaming, but there's a voice inside my head saying
"You'll never reach it"
Every step I'm taking, every move I make feels lost with no direction.
My faith is shaking, but I gotta keep trying, gotta keep my head held high.
There's always gonna be another mountain.
I'm always gonna wanna make it move.
Always gonna be a uphill battle.
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose.
Ain't about how fast I get there. Ain't about what's waiting on the other side.
It's the climb
The struggles I'm facing.
The chances I'm taking, sometimes might knock me down.
But no, I'm not breaking, I may not know it.
But these are the moments that, I'm gonna remember most, yeah.
Just gotta keep going, and I, I got to be strong.
Just keep pushing on
Keep on moving, keep climbing
Keep the faith, baby it's all about, it's all about the climb.
Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa"
That dream I am dreaming, but there's a voice inside my head saying
"You'll never reach it"
Every step I'm taking, every move I make feels lost with no direction.
My faith is shaking, but I gotta keep trying, gotta keep my head held high.
There's always gonna be another mountain.
I'm always gonna wanna make it move.
Always gonna be a uphill battle.
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose.
Ain't about how fast I get there. Ain't about what's waiting on the other side.
It's the climb
The struggles I'm facing.
The chances I'm taking, sometimes might knock me down.
But no, I'm not breaking, I may not know it.
But these are the moments that, I'm gonna remember most, yeah.
Just gotta keep going, and I, I got to be strong.
Just keep pushing on
Keep on moving, keep climbing
Keep the faith, baby it's all about, it's all about the climb.
Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa"
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Shari's Mission and the numbers
As you all know by now, Shari needs a bone marrow transplant. In the last month, there have been four drives to help Shari and others like her find their match. In less than one month, Shari's Mission has helped add close to 1400 people to the bone marrow registry in Canada. That may seem like an amazing number, and of course it is, especially to the over 800 people currently waiting for their bone marrow match to save their life.
This adventure is all about the numbers. For Shari, numbers relate to her levels when they are down, and she is neutropenic (An abnormal decrease in the number of neutrophils in the blood). That means it is very dangerous for her to catch any germs, infections, etc for her body is not able to fight off any infections, which is bad for anyone in her situation. But, when her numbers are UP, it means she has engery, can go for walks, can see her friends and family, can go out for sushi (yay for sushi), and means that she is getting stronger every day. Numbers....when Shari was in PMH (Princess Margaret Hospital) the numbers are put up every day after chemo, and we all waited...to see them start to climb which showed us that she was coming out of the bad times.
But now, the numbers means something different. These are the numbers that have been thrown around to me the last six weeks:
- about 27 million eligable Canadians in Canada, and only 250,000 are on the bone marrow registry.
- over 800 people are currently waiting for bone marrow matches
- there are many different types of cancers that need and require bone marrow for a patient's survival.
The question is: how can we raise awareness to the need for people in our community, the city, the province, and beyond to step up and get tested to see if they can save a life.
One Match, is the arm in Canada for this. Once you are in their website (http://www.onematch.ca ) you can read about the who, what, where when why and how about blood services, stem cells and bone marrow. Why should I donate, How can I donate. It is very simple, you do it on line, and they mail you a kit, swab, and send it back....simple...BUT there are other ways as well.
I should also stress the importance of giving blood and platlets. I have a friend who is a regular platlet donor, and I can tell you that he is helping saves lives as well. Shari has had to have lots of blood and platlets to survive. So, every small part, is HUGE to someone else. More than I ever imagined.
As I said at the start of this post, Shari's Mission (http://www.sharismission.com ) has been holding bone marrow drives and will continue to do so, until we find a match for Shari, and beyond, to help all the others.
Our next MAJOR event will be on Monday November 23rd from 4-9pm at Hava Nagila Banquest hall (1118 Centre Street in Thornhill). Shari's brother Rob, is challenging the community at LARGE to support this event. Everyone needs to 'pay it forward' and come out to register. Plain and simple - PEOPLE NEED YOU!
I know that many people are already on the list from past drives for others in need. I understand that. But many of you are not. What YOU need to do is just pass this on, and let everyone you know, know about this. Let them decide if they want to help save a life.
I hope that you can do this. I hope that you agree that you can do your small part to help someone else.
I know that I am probably starting to sound like Jerry Lewis with my pleas for help for Shari and others like her, but it is all true. It is probably easier to help with a bone marrow drive, than it is to help find a cure for Muscular Dystrophy. I am not comparing...I am just sayin'.....
Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have any questions, concerns, want to volunteer, want to know more about....whatever....if I know the answers, I will tell you. If I don't, I will try to find out.
This adventure is all about the numbers. For Shari, numbers relate to her levels when they are down, and she is neutropenic (An abnormal decrease in the number of neutrophils in the blood). That means it is very dangerous for her to catch any germs, infections, etc for her body is not able to fight off any infections, which is bad for anyone in her situation. But, when her numbers are UP, it means she has engery, can go for walks, can see her friends and family, can go out for sushi (yay for sushi), and means that she is getting stronger every day. Numbers....when Shari was in PMH (Princess Margaret Hospital) the numbers are put up every day after chemo, and we all waited...to see them start to climb which showed us that she was coming out of the bad times.
But now, the numbers means something different. These are the numbers that have been thrown around to me the last six weeks:
- about 27 million eligable Canadians in Canada, and only 250,000 are on the bone marrow registry.
- over 800 people are currently waiting for bone marrow matches
- there are many different types of cancers that need and require bone marrow for a patient's survival.
The question is: how can we raise awareness to the need for people in our community, the city, the province, and beyond to step up and get tested to see if they can save a life.
One Match, is the arm in Canada for this. Once you are in their website (http://www.onematch.ca ) you can read about the who, what, where when why and how about blood services, stem cells and bone marrow. Why should I donate, How can I donate. It is very simple, you do it on line, and they mail you a kit, swab, and send it back....simple...BUT there are other ways as well.
I should also stress the importance of giving blood and platlets. I have a friend who is a regular platlet donor, and I can tell you that he is helping saves lives as well. Shari has had to have lots of blood and platlets to survive. So, every small part, is HUGE to someone else. More than I ever imagined.
As I said at the start of this post, Shari's Mission (http://www.sharismission.com ) has been holding bone marrow drives and will continue to do so, until we find a match for Shari, and beyond, to help all the others.
Our next MAJOR event will be on Monday November 23rd from 4-9pm at Hava Nagila Banquest hall (1118 Centre Street in Thornhill). Shari's brother Rob, is challenging the community at LARGE to support this event. Everyone needs to 'pay it forward' and come out to register. Plain and simple - PEOPLE NEED YOU!
I know that many people are already on the list from past drives for others in need. I understand that. But many of you are not. What YOU need to do is just pass this on, and let everyone you know, know about this. Let them decide if they want to help save a life.
I hope that you can do this. I hope that you agree that you can do your small part to help someone else.
I know that I am probably starting to sound like Jerry Lewis with my pleas for help for Shari and others like her, but it is all true. It is probably easier to help with a bone marrow drive, than it is to help find a cure for Muscular Dystrophy. I am not comparing...I am just sayin'.....
Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have any questions, concerns, want to volunteer, want to know more about....whatever....if I know the answers, I will tell you. If I don't, I will try to find out.
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