In Need of Volunteers

I have received the information packet from DKMS (today) about setting up a Bone Marrow Donor Drive for Jasmina Amena, the 6-year old little girl who is in need of a Bone Marrow Transplant. The first step in setting up a donor drive is obtaining volunteers. SO, I am reaching out to all of you who come and read my blog to step up. Being a volunteer is extremely easy and will definitely be rewarding. I will need people to assist with the following:

1. Picking a location (I'm currently working on this now)
2. Media and Public Relations - let's spread the word
3. Fundraising
4. Location set-up
5. Information table
6. Registration on the day of the drive
7. Testing (a simple cheek swab)
8. Manning the donation table on the day of the drive
9. Check-out station
10. Refreshment area

Let's all step up and help this precious little girl - and others just like her. If you cannot volunteer, it's ok...there are other ways to help. Please respond to indicate your willingness to help out. Together, we can ALL save a life!

~Traycee~

Helping Jasmina

Hey everyone!

You know, I must be honest with you. There's a lot going on in my personal life. However, all of that got pushed aside when I heard of Jasmina's story. I do have to admit, I was a little slow to act. Well, I don't know, maybe not. I first read about Jasmina about a month ago when I read an article at People.com. I saw the video that her best friend made pleading for everyone's help. It tore at every single ounce of my being. It literally brought me to tears.

Jasmina Amena is a 6-year old girl who was diagnosed on January 20, 2009 with a rare form of Leukemia. She is in dire need of a bone marrow transplant and without it, doctors are giving her approximately 2-months to live.

So, I went online and requested a Bone Marrow Donor kit. It took approximately two weeks to arrive at my door and I couldn't be happier. I followed the simple steps and did a cheek swab so that I could be tested to see if I was a match. I verified all of my information, and mailed it back. I'm praying that I'm a match for Jasmina. Oh, she is such a precious little girl!!!

Even though I have yet to meet her, I feel like I've known her since she was born. When I see her picture, I see every young child in my family in her eyes. And boy oh boy does she have some big, beautiful eyes. I cried yesterday when looking at her picture because it hurts so much to think that she may not be here much longer if she doesn't find a donor.

I was online until about 1:30AM last night because I couldn't sleep and I just kept researching different things for Jasmina - trying to figure out how I can help her........and quite possibly, others just like her. SO, before I went to bed last night, I made up my mind to help her more than just by giving a cheek swab. I've contacted DKMS and am awaiting contact from them so that I can set up a donor drive. I've been posting blogs (as you can see) and sending numerous emails to help spread the word about her cause. My only hope and prayer is that the donor drive doesn't come too late for Jasmina.

I ask you - what are YOU going to do to help Jasmina? What CAN you do to help Jasmina? Can you look at her face and look into those eyes and not have it tug at your heart?!

This Saturday, March 7th from 10AM - 2PM, there will be a donor drive at the following location. If you live in NYC or have friends or family that live there, PLEASE get out there and get your cheek swabbed! It's not everyday that you can do something to save someone's life. I AM ON A MISSION...how about you?!

Public School 41
116 W 11th St
New York, NY

Click here to see the video that Jasmina's friend, Isabelle, made for her.

*Above image (Isabelle and Jasmina) taken from here

Sources:
www.oneforjasmina.com
www.dkmsamericas.org
www.people.com

Help Jasmina with a Bone Marrow Donation

Jasmina Anema turns 6 years old Wednesday (March 4th), and the birthday party planned for her - with a fashion show, cake and an appearance by singer Kelly Rowland - is a dream come true.

But the celebration could be Jasmina's last.

The bubbly Greenwich Village kindergartner is suffering from a rare and especially fatal form of leukemia that doctors fear will take her life within two months unless she receives a bone-marrow transplant.

Jasmina's family - and celebrities like Rihanna and NBA star Paul Pierce, who were touched by her plight - hope a donor drive Saturday will produce the match needed to save her.

"I need thousands of people to come," Jasmina's mother, Theodora Anema, said Tuesday at NYU Medical Center as her ailing child clung to her neck.

"She's the love of my life."

Jasmina's life was turned upside down on Jan. 20 when a doctor informed her she was suffering from NK cell Leukemia.

The news was crushing. Anema had no idea the minor infection on her daughter's toe was a sign of something so sinister.

Click here to continue

~Traycee~

Source

Become a Bone Marrow Donor

Becoming a bone marrow donor is SO EASY and extremely PAIN FREE!!! Visit the DKMS website and request a donor kit. All you have to do is complete the form they send you and submit TWO cheek swabs. It's as simple as that. I've done it, and so can you.

If you're a match for ANYONE, they will contact you. There's no greater gift than to help save someone's life.

I thank you and your potential "donee" thanks you!!!

BECOME A DONOR

~Traycee~

A Classy Pair

(image yanked from here)

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama - my heart is filled with such joy!

On Our Way to JUSTICE!!!

The protests and the uproars have been heeded to - authorities have arrested the BART officer who shot AND killed Oscar Grant on New Year's morning. The former officer, Johannes Mehserle, has been charged with MURDER - as he very well should be! For more information, go here and here.

~Traycee

What Did We Do Wrong?

Besides OBVIOUSLY being the WRONG SKIN COLOR!!!

Oscar Grant - 22 year old father, son, boyfriend, cousin, brother, grandson, friend, BLACK MAN

You know, when I saw online the report about the young man who was shot and killed by an Oakland, CA BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) offer, I didn't know what to think. I didn't know what to write. I just didn't know what to say. It hurts my heart in ways I just cannot describe because yet ANOTHER BLACK MAN IS GONE!!! Another family has to bury their loved one over what appears to be a senseless act by a seemingly trigger happy cop. I simply cannot fathom what seems like the desire to "snuff us out". I'm not saying that ALL cops are bad people - but one bad apple definitely does spoil the entire bunch.

How do you shoot a person in the back? This person poses no absolute risk to you because a fellow officer is kneeling on the person's back? The person has their hands behind them!!! But yet - you still manage to shoot AND kill him. HOW?? WHY?? There's a report that the officer "might" have mistaken his gun for his pepper spray. Are these two VERY DIFFERENT items that similar in touch that you cannot know the difference?

They're rioting in CA now. Seriously, did people think WE would sit back and do NOTHING?! WRONG!!!!!!! Wrong on every fathomable level imaginable! I cannot bring myself to post the video of Mr. Grant's MURDER!!! So, you're going to have to search the Internet - I'm sure it won't be hard to find because just about every media outlet is broadcasting it.

Violence is NOT the answer! I know it hurts. I know you want to beat someone up, burn some cars, break some windows - but that is not the way to do things. I know it's hard to sit by and wait for the criminal justice system to work. But, doing all of this is not going to bring Oscar Grant back. Threatening the officer that killed him is not going to bring him back. FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE will bring him back. FIGHTING FOR OSCAR GRANT because he can no longer fight for himself will bring him back. No, it won't bring him back physically - but it will keep his memory alive for his loved ones and for those like me who never knew him.

Amadou Diallo (09/02/75 - 02/04/99), Sean Bell (05/18/83 - 11/25/06), Billy Joe Johnson (?? - 12/08/08), Oscar Grant (?? - 01/01/09), and countless others - ALL innocent men GUNNED DOWN by police.

DEAR GOD, WHEN WILL IT END?!?!?!

~Traycee~