March 8:
March 9:
Ulysses, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Mary Queen of
March 15:
Father Schawe organizes first
regional bone marrow drive
By David Myers
In
1999, Ensign resident Karla Schubert was thrust face to
face with one of her worst nightmares: while only in the fourth grade, her son,
Brett, was diagnosed with Leukemia.
“It’s
a huge shock, one of those things that happens to
someone else,” she said.
After
10 years of hopes, heartache, and much prayer, her son’s illness is in
remission and she has suddenly found herself in the position to save the lives
of others who may be facing the same or similar diseases. In fact, every person
in the diocese between the ages of 18 and 60 are in the position to save lives.
Father
Wesley Schawe, newly appointed pastor of St. Dominic Parish in Garden City and
a vocal proponent of adult stem-cell research, has organized a local
For those who wish to be placed on the national registry,
all it takes is showing up, signing a waver, taking a swab to the cheek, and
then paying a fee to cover lab work.
Father
Schawe understands that the fee involved might dissuade possible donors. The
cost covers lab work – funding that otherwise couldn’t be met. While donors are
usually asked to pay $50 to cover the necessary lab work, a community grant has
reduced that cost within the Diocese of
“It’s
an act of service to others,” Father Schawe said. “I’m pretty confident that if
a prospective donor has trouble coming up with the fee, between a sponsor or a foundation, a way will be found.” It’s also a way to
answer the call to Christian giving and sacrifice, particularly during Lent.
“It’s
an honor to be on the list,” said Schubert, who watched her great uncle and
father battle cancer, and whose mother is currently battling the disease. Schubert is also one of three organizers Father Schawe asked to
coordinate the local drives -- in Great Bend March 8, Ulysses March 9, and
Bone
marrow transplants are used to treat several diseases of the blood and immune
systems. More than 30,000 people each year are diagnosed with diseases that
require bone marrow transplantation. Of these, only 30 percent will find a
match within their family. All the rest – nearly 20,000 people annually – will
have to search elsewhere for a donor.
Bone
marrow transplants use the stem cells within the marrow to restore blood cell
production to the patient. Father Schawe hopes the drive will dispel the notion
that all stem-cell research is bad.
“Some
people have the misconception that the Church is totally against stem-cell
research of any kind,” he said. “There are two different kinds of stem-cell
research. The one that is not acceptable is embryonic” because it involves the
destruction of an unborn child. “Adult stem-cell research has resulted in some
very good things -- very ethical things.”
Once
on the list, Father Schawe said that there are far more factors involved in
matching bone marrow than there are in, say, matching blood types. In fact,
matching bone marrow involves finding matches within the DNA level. This is why
there is such a great need for donors, and it’s why the chances of being chosen
for transplantation are one in several thousand.
While
donors of all racial backgrounds are needed, the need for minority donors is
far more dire.
“If a
minority is in need of a transplant, you can almost be sure that the match will
come from someone of the same ethnic background,” Father Schawe explained. “The
least amount of people on the list are those from
minority backgrounds.”
Because
of the great need for minority donors, the donor program has received a grant
that fully funds all those of minority blood or those of mixed descent. In
other words, minority donors need not pay to donate.
If a person’s marrow is chosen to be
transplanted into a patient, they will be contacted as to how to proceed. There
will be no additional cost to the donor. For more information about bone marrow
transplants, the transplantation process, and the national
donor drive, go to www.marrow.org.
Se necesistan desesperadamente Hispanos donantes para el próximo Registro para Donación de Médula Ósea
El Padre Wesley Schawe, recién designado pastor de la Parroquia de Santo Domingo en Garden City, ha organizado un Registro para Donación de Médula Ósea que
se llevará a cabo en tres parroquias durante las próximas
semanas:
8 de marzo:
9 de marzo: Ulysses, 10am-2pm en la Iglesia
María- Reina de la Paz.
15 de
marzo:
Para aquellos que desean
estar en el registro nacional, todo lo que deben hacer
es llegar, firmar su desición
y tomar un palillo de algodón y frotarlo en la garganta.
“Es
un acto de servicio a otros”, dijo
el Padre Schawe.
Mientras se necesitan donantes de todas las clases raciales,
la necesidad de donantes Hispanos es mucho más extrema. Si una minoría necesita un trasplante, usted casi puede estar
seguro que este
coincidirá de alguien del mismo grupo étnico,”
explicó el Padre Schawe. “La menor
parte de la cantidad de gente
en la lista son aquellos de
clases minoritarias”.
A causa de la gran necesidad de donantes de minoría, el programa de donante ha recibido un fondo que
totalmente financia a todos aquellos donantes que son de la sangre de minoría o de descendencia mixta. En otras palabras, los donantes hispanos
no tienen que pagar para donar.
Las no minorías deben pagar 25 dólares para cubrir el trabajo de laboratorio.
Los transplantes de médula ósea son usados para tratar
varias enfermedades de la sangre y sistema inmunológico. Más de 30,000
personas cada año son diagnosticadas con enfermedades que requieren transplante
de médula ósea. De estos, sólo
el 30 por ciento pudiera encontrar uno que coincida
dentro de su familia. Todo el resto- cerca de 20,000 personas anualmente
– tendrán que buscar un donante en otro lugar.
Los transplantes de médula ósea usan
las células madres dentro de la médula para restaurar
la producción de célula sanguínea para el paciente. El Padre Schawe espera que la donación disipe la noción que toda investigación
de célula madre es mala. “Algunas
personas tienen el mal concepto
que la Iglesia está totalmente en contra de la investigación de la célula madre de todo tipo”,
él dijo. “La que no es aceptable
es la investigación embrionaria, porque ella involucra
la destrucción de un bebé que no ha nacido”. “Las investigaciones de la célula madre adulta han resultado en algunas cosas muy
buenas –cosas muy éticas”.
Si la médula de una persona es escogida para ser trasplantada en un paciente, la persona será contactada y se le instruirá sobre el procedimiento. No habrá ningún costo
adicional para el donante. Para más información sobre trasplantes de médula ósea, el proceso de trasplante, y el Registro Nacional del Donante, visite la página www.marrow.org.