It's Cathy. John Molnar's wife and I would really appreciate it if you pass this on in your community

In the fall of 2009, John was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a bone marrow disease that is characterized by an inability to produce healthy red and white blood cells and platelets. He has been on a new generation of chemo, which has not kicked in, and we're not sure if it will. Right now, he has to get weekly blood transfusions and sometimes platelet transfusions. The only cure for MDS is a bone marrow transplant.

Ethnicity can be an important factor and as you know, John is Hungarian. Becoming a potential bone marrow donor is as easy as going to your local Canadian Blood Services and telling them you want to get on the international registry. According to our oncologist, if you are a match for someone who needs a transplant, the bone marrow is now taken from your peripheral blood instead of from the bone, so it's no longer a painful process. At the most, it's a bit inconvenient and can result in a little discomfort.

Unfortunately, you cannot specify it's for John, but having Hungarians on the registry may improve John chances or you may be able to save someone else's life. Here's a link for Canadian Blood Services regarding bone marrow donations.

http://www.blood.ca/centreapps/internet/uw_v502_mainengine.nsf/page/E_ubmdrPKG-intro?opendocument&CloseMenu

Thank you for passing this on
Cathy

John Molnar
www.johnmolnarpaintings.com
416-967-3859