May 3, 2013

The 13th Annual Combination Blood and Marrow/Stem Cell Donor Registration Drive was held in Shannon's memory and in honor of Larry Sale, a leukemia patient from Winder, GA, on May 3, 2013 at the Winder First UMC in Winder, GA. This drive resulted in 4 new donors being added to the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Be The Match Registry. This increases the total of new volunteer donors who have been added to the national registries during these annual drives and four other drives that the Foundation has co-hosted for other leukemia patients to 998.

May 18, 2012
The 12th Annual Combination Blood and Marrow/Stem Cell Donor Registration Drive was held in Shannon's memory on May 18, 2012 at the Hamilton Mill Lakeview Clubhouse in Dacula, GA.  This drive resulted in 3 new donors being added to the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Be The Match Registry. This increases the total of new volunteer donors who have been added to the national registries during these annual drives and four other drives that the Foundation has co-hosted for other leukemia patients to 994. 
 

12th Annual Blood and Bone Marrow/Stem Cell Donor Registration Drive - May 18, 2012

Drive Location:  Hamilton Mill Lakeview Clubhouse
                           1669 Hamilton Mill Parkway
                           Dacula, Ga  30019

Drive Chairperson: Stuart Mosher  678-431-0764 or stuartmosher@aol.com  

Drive Date: Friday, May 18, 2012

Drive Start: 1:00 pm

Drive End:   7:00 pm

Signup Slots:  60

Blood Drive Available Time Slots:

IMPORTANT - Please PRE-REGISTER for this drive by selecting a convenient time below well in advance of the drive. Then, call Stuart Mosher at 678-431-0764 or email him at stuartmosher@aol.com to confirm your time slot. Alternately, you may drop by the Hamilton Mill Lakeview Clubhouse to pre-register.

Thanks for your assistance in helping to ensure that this drive runs smoothly, with minimal delays for the generous donors who commit their time for this worthy and important event.

DRIVE HIGHLIGHTS:

NOTE: Following is a good link if you have questions about the marrow/stem cell donation process. The FAQs are from the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Be The Match registry website and address a number of issues:

http://marrow.org/Join/FAQs_about_Joining.aspx#nmdp

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                            2012 EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

                                  Hamilton Mill Lakeview Clubhouse
                                      1669 Hamilton Mill Parkway
                                              Dacula, GA  30019
                    
Goal: Fill 60 time slots with donors who will give blood and/or agree to be processed to be added to the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Be The Match Registry.

Basic Donor Criteria:
1. Blood Donors: age 17 – no upper limit.
2. NMDP Registry: between 18 – 60 years old.  Be in good general health.
3. No history of cancer, diabetes, heart disease or heart attack;
4. Not at high risk for contracting AIDS or the HIV virus;
5. For more specific medical guidelines, visit NMDP’s website: www.marrow.org or call the LifeSouth Community Blood Center at  770-538-0500.

PLEASE PRE -REGISTER FOR THIS DRIVE
1. Go to www.shannonmosherfoundation.org
2. Go to Bone Marrow Donor Drives link   
3. Select one of the available 60 time slots
4. Call Stuart Mosher at 678-431-0764 or 
     email him at:  stuartmosher@aol.com
5. We’ll contact you to confirm time slot.

To get on the NMDP Be The Match Registry ($100 testing fee waived):
1. Be informed about marrow and peripheral blood stem cell donation processes;
2. Complete a brief health questionnaire;
3. Sign a form consenting to have your tissue type listed on the NMDP Registry;
4. Cheek cell swabs collected for testing.

On May 18, 2012: Bring a driver’s license or other acceptable picture ID to the drive; eat something and drink fluids within 3 hours of your time slot; and provide the names, addresses, and phone numbers of 2 adult contacts.  

From the NMDP website  -  www.marrow.org:
Finding a match: The basics
For a successful transplant, a patient needs a matching donor. Special testing determines whether a patient and a bone marrow donor or umbilical cord blood are a good match. The closer the match, the better for the patient.

Race and ethnicity matter: Because the markers used in matching are inherited, patients are more likely to match someone from their own race or ethnicity. Adding more donors and cord blood units from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds to the Be The Match Registry increases the likelihood that all patients will find the match they need. Your heritage can make all the difference. If you are from one of the following communities, you are especially encouraged to join the Be The Match Registry or donate umbilical cord blood:

*Black and African American
*American Indian and Alaska Native
*Asian, including South Asian
*Native Hawaiian & other Pacific  
   islander
*Hispanic and Latino
*Multiple Race

A match for every patient. Hope for every family.

We have a registry of millions. But we still do not have matched bone marrow donors or umbilical cord blood for all patients, especially those from racially and ethnically diverse communities. We need more people to join the registry and expectant parents to donate umbilical cord blood. With your help, more people will receive a transplant. And more families will have a future filled with hope.

The Shannon Mosher Memorial Foundation, Inc. was incorporated in 2000 as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, non-profit public charity by her father, Stuart Mosher, to honor the life of his 28-year-old daughter who died May 20, 2000 from complications related to her 15-month battle with leukemia which included a bone marrow transplant.

The Shannon Mosher
Memorial Foundation, Inc.
3589 Rock Elm Court
Auburn, GA 30011 
Phone: 678-377-7036
Email:  stuartmosher@aol.com
www.shannonmosherfoundation.org

Below are some Reflections that I penned almost a year after Shannon's death, as the Foundation was preparing to host the first annual bone marrow/blood stem cell donor registration drive in Shannon's memory at Perimeter Church, where Shannon was attending during her battle with leukemia. Following these thoughts about why there is such a need for more people to become volunteer donors on one of the national registries, we provide some detail on the many drives the Foundation has co-hosted since that time.

Reflections from Stuart Mosher – 4/16/01 (updated in places on 4/2/08) 
The words ‘leukemia’ and ‘bone marrow transplant’ became personal to us with Shannon's diagnosis in 2/99 and subsequent relapse in 11/99…followed by Shannon’s transplant on 3/18/00 and, sadly, her death on 5/20/00 at age 28. The need for more bone marrow donors on the national registry was nothing we had ever heard about before 1999. But for my wife, Teresa, and me, addressing that need has now become a passion of ours, a ministry in serving others, and a major focus of our lives.

Contrasted with being an organ donor by checking a box on your driver’s license, becoming a bone marrow or stem cell donor takes a little more ‘real time’ commitment -- taking the time to have a small sample of blood drawn for tissue typing (update: a swab of the cheek cells is now routinely collected instead of a vial of blood) to get on the national registry; and then waiting and responding to a future call if you are a match for someone and could save their life. There are no further medical costs to you as the donor, and the actual procedure is a relatively minor one.
 
The person in need will be someone’s daughter (like Shannon), a son, husband, wife, mother or father, sister or brother, perhaps related to a member of your church or synagogue.  While the person could be a relative or friend of yours, most likely he or she would be a stranger. But what a blessed opportunity to be able to respond as Jesus instructed in the parable of the Good Samaritan, who stopped to help the Jewish man who was left on the road half dead: “Go and do likewise.” I don’t imagine many in the Christian or Jewish community would knowingly not step forward to save a person’s life by donating a little bone marrow.  However, while you may be a perfect match for someone right now, someone who won’t live through the end of this year without receiving a transplant, you won’t have the opportunity to make that decision if you’re not on the national registry and available when the various transplant centers around the world are searching to find a match for a patient.
 
With over 4 million volunteer marrow and blood stem cell donors on the National Marrow Program Registry (NMDP) in 2000 (now about 7 million), there was still not a perfect 6 out of 6 antigen match for Shannon that would have increased her chances significantly. While we were very grateful for the donor (5 out of 6 match from Wales) who did give Shannon and us some hope that her life would be extended, in our view there just weren’t enough people on the various worldwide registries.
 
The fact is that each year more than 30,000 people are diagnosed with diseases that can be cured by a marrow or blood stem cell transplant, but 70% of them will need an unrelated donor for their transplant – and on any given day, more than 3,000 (now 6,000) patients are searching the NMDP Registry for a matched unrelated donor. Also, hundreds of thousands of new volunteer bone marrow donors are needed each year just to replace that number of donors who are removed from the registries due to death, age, medical, or other reasons.

A major focus of our Foundation is to increase these numbers significantly. As our Foundation theme SALT & LIGHT suggests, as a bone marrow donor, you have the opportunity to perhaps Save A Life Tomorrow…and let a potential recipient Live In Great Hope Today. For more information about becoming a bone marrow donor visit the National Marrow Donor Program website: www.marrow.org. For more information about Shannon's journey and the mission of the Foundation established in her memory, visit www.shannonmosherfoundation.org.

Please take the first step to perhaps saving a life through a bone marrow or blood stem cell donation by getting tested and registered. 
 
In His love,
Stuart Mosher
stuartmosher@aol.com

Bone Marrow Drives - Information and Results

May 20, 2011
The 11th Annual Combination Blood and Marrow/Stem Cell Donor Registration Drive was held in Shannon's memory on May 20, 2011 at the LifeSouth Regional Blood center in Gainesville, GA.  This drive resulted in 6 new blood donors, but was the first drive the Foundation has been involved in where there were no new donors added to the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry. This keeps the total of new volunteer donors who have been added to the national registries during these annual drives and four other drives that the Foundation has co-hosted for other leukemia patients to 991.
 
May 18, 2010
The 10th Annual Combination Blood and Marrow/Stem Cell Donor Registration Drive was held in Shannon's memory on May 18, 2010 at the Winder Woman’s Club in Winder, GA. This drive resulted in 6 new donors being added to the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry. Only time will tell, but one or more of these new donors could possibly end up being a perfect match at some point for a leukemia or other patient in need of a life saving transplant. This brings the total to 991 new volunteer donors who have been added to the national registries during these annual drives and four other drives that the Foundation has co-hosted for other leukemia patients.
 
May 13, 2009
Our Foundation’s 9th annual bone marrow/blood stem cell donor registration drive was held this date in Shannon’s memory at the University of Georgia Baptist Student Center in Athens, GA. At this drive, we had a fairly low response but did end up with 5 new bone marrow/blood stem cell donors being added to the NMDP Registry. This brings the total to 985 new volunteer donors who have been added to the national registries during these annual drives and four other drives that the Foundation has co-hosted for other leukemia patients since its inception.
 
May 14, 2008
Our Foundation’s 8th annual bone marrow/blood stem cell donor registration drive was held this date in Shannon’s memory at Hebron Baptist Church in Dacula, GA where Teresa and I are members. At this drive, we had a very good response with 32 new bone marrow/blood stem cell donors being added to the NMDP Registry. This brings the total to 980 new volunteer donors who have been added to the national registries during these annual drives and four other drives that the Foundation has co-hosted for other leukemia patients since its inception.
 
May 21, 2007
After relocating back to the Atlanta, GA area last November, having lived in Ocala, FL the previous 5 years, we held the 7th annual bone marrow/blood cell drive in Shannon's memory at the LifeSouth Northeast Georgia Donor Center in Gainesville, GA.  At this drive, 12 new bone marrow/blood stem cell donors were added to the NMDP Registry.
 
May 13, 2006
At this 6th annual donor drive held in Shannon's memory, 16 new bone marrow/blood stem cell donors were added to the NMDP Registry. The drive was held at the LifeSouth Blood Center on Silver Springs Blvd in Ocala, FL.
 
May 27, 2005
We were blessed to have added 14 new bone marrow/blood stem cell donors to the NMDP Registry as a result of this 5th annual donor drive held in Shannon's memory.
 
Shannon Mosher fought the horrendous effects of leukemia for 15 months. Sadly, she died May 20, 2000 at the age of 28, about 2 months after receiving a bone marrow transplant from a donor in Wales. It was very encouraging to Shannon and her family that a stranger from a foreign country, who was selected as the best tissue-type match for her, would provide at least the hope for an extended life.  Had Shannon survived, it was her desire to return home and do whatever she could to assist other leukemia patients.
 
Through this Foundation established in Shannon’s memory, one way her family is fulfilling that desire is by helping to recruit more potential bone marrow donors. The 4th annual drive in Ocala to add potential donors to the National Marrow Donor Program Registry is described below: 
What: a combination blood and marrow/blood stem cell donor drive.

Where:  Paddock Mall in Ocala, FL (common area in front of the Belk Department Store).

Why: to add donors on the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry.
When: Friday, May 27, 2005 between 4 pm – 8 pm, and Saturday, May 28, 2005 between 10 am - 2 pm.
Who:  co-hosted by The Shannon Mosher Memorial Foundation, Inc. (Foundation),  LifeSouth Community Blood Centers and the NMDP.
What To Do: Take the first step to join the NMDP Registry by giving a unit of blood, and:
1. Be informed about the marrow and peripheral blood stem cell donation processes
2. Complete a brief health questionnaire;
3. Sign a form consenting to have your tissue type listed on the NMDP Registry; and
4. Provide an additional small blood sample to be tested to determine your tissue type.
Basic Donor Criteria:
1.  Be between 18 – 60 years old, and in good general health;
2. No history of cancer, diabetes, heart disease or heart attack;
3. Not be excessively overweight – call LifeSouth (#5 below) with any questions;
4. Not at high risk for contracting AIDS or the HIV virus;
5. For more specific medical guidelines, visit NMDP’s website: www.marrow.org or call LifeSouth’s Jennifer Jandersits in Ocala at 622-3544. 

Important Note: If you decide to join, you should carefully consider the commitment to remain on the Registry until age 61. The NMDP is aware there are circumstances that may cause you to be unavailable when contacted. When patients are searching, however, time is essential and knowledge of unavailability will avoid time wasted trying to contact and gain consent from unavailable volunteers.  If you have a change of address, a significant change affecting long-term health, or a change in personal commitment to be a potential donor, you are requested to please notify your donor center immediately.  

The Facts: The American Cancer Society projected that 30,600 people in the United States would be diagnosed with leukemia and 21,900 leukemia patients would die during 2003. Over 3,000 patients on any give day are searching the bone marrow registries for a suitable donor. You may be the perfect match for a patient who won’t live to this Christmas without the gift of a bone marrow transplant.
 
Contributions: Contributions will be graciously accepted that will enable the Foundation to provide additional funding for subsequent drives, and to provide limited financial aid grants to leukemia patients for expenses that are not covered totally by insurance or through other sources. These tax-deductible gifts may be made via check made payable to The Shannon Mosher Memorial Foundation, Inc. and sent to 3589 Rock Elm Court, Auburn, GA 30011; the phone number is 678-377-7036, and the email address is: stuartmosher@aol.com.
 
THE SHANNON MOSHER MEMORIAL FOUNDATION, INC. (REG.# CH13950) RECEIVES 100% OF EACH FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION (THERE ARE NO PROFESSIONAL SOLICITORS OR FUNDRAISERS CONTRACTED BY THE FOUNDATION WHO RETAIN ANY PERCENTAGE OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED).  A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, 1-800-435-7352. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR
RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. 
 
May 16, 2004
Shannon Mosher fought the horrendous effects of leukemia for 15 months. Sadly, she died May 20, 2000 at the age of 28, about 2 months after receiving a bone marrow transplant from a donor in Wales. It was very encouraging to Shannon and her family that a stranger from a foreign country, who was selected as the best tissue-type match for her, would provide at least the hope for an extended life.  Had Shannon survived, it was her desire to return home and do whatever she could to assist other leukemia patients.
 
Through this Foundation established in Shannon’s memory, one way her family is fulfilling that desire is by helping to recruit more potential bone marrow donors. The 3rd annual drive in Ocala to add potential donors to the National Marrow Donor Program Registry is described below: 
What: a combination blood and marrow/blood stem cell donor drive.
Where:  Paddock Mall in Ocala, FL (common area in front of the Belk Department Store).
Why: to add donors on the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry.
When: Friday and Saturday, May 28 & 29, 2004, between 10 am – 9 pm.
Who:  co-hosted by The Shannon Mosher Memorial Foundation, Inc. (Foundation),  LifeSouth Community Blood Centers and the NMDP.
What To Do: Take the first step to join the NMDP Registry by giving a unit of blood, and:
1. Be informed about the marrow and peripheral blood
stem cell donation processes;
2. Complete a brief health questionnaire;
3. Sign a form consenting to have your
tissue type listed on the NMDP Registry; and
4. Provide an additional small blood sample to be tested to determine your tissue type.
 
Basic Donor Criteria: 1. Be between 18 – 60 years old, and in good general health;
2. No history of cancer, diabetes, heart disease or heart attack;
3. Not be excessively overweight – call LifeSouth (#5 below) with any questions;
4. Not at high risk for contracting AIDS or the HIV virus;
5. For more specific medical guidelines, visit NMDP’s website: www.marrow.org or call LifeSouth’s Jim Hindman in Belleview at 347-1313 or Leyla Law in Ocala at 622-3544. 
 
Important Note: If you decide to join, you should carefully consider the
commitment to remain on the Registry until age 61.  The NMDP is aware there are circumstances that may cause you to be unavailable when contacted. When patients are searching, however, time is essential and knowledge of unavailability will avoid time wasted trying to contact and gain consent from unavailable volunteers.  If you have a change of address, a significant change affecting long-term health, or a change in personal commitment to be a potential donor, you are requested to please notify your donor center immediately. 

The Facts: The American Cancer Society projected that 30,600 people in the United States would be diagnosed with leukemia and 21,900 leukemia patients would die during 2003. Over 3,000 patients on any give day are searching the bone marrow registries for a suitable donor. You may be the perfect match for a patient who won’t live to this Christmas without the gift of a bone marrow transplant.

Contributions: Contributions will be graciously accepted that will enable the Foundation to provide additional funding for subsequent drives, and to provide limited financial aid grants to leukemia patients for expenses that are not covered totally by insurance or through other sources. The Foundation’s address is 3589 Rock Elm Court, Auburn, GA 30011; the phone number is 678-377-7036; and the email address is: stuartmosher@aol.com.
 
THE SHANNON MOSHER MEMORIAL FOUNDATION, INC. (REG.# CH13950) RECEIVES 100% OF EACH FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION (THERE ARE NO PROFESSIONAL SOLICITORS OR FUNDRAISERS CONTRACTED BY THE FOUNDATION WHO RETAIN ANY PERCENTAGE OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED).  A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, 1-800-435-7352. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. 
 
May 12, 2003
We had another successful combination blood drive and marrow/stem cell donor drive this past weekend, considering it was held on Mother's Day weekend...the only one available for us during May. A total of 6 new donors were added to the NMDP Registry, with others unable to be added due to medical reasons and/or having been to one of the "forbidden" countries too recently. We again received a lot of support from the local community, and special thanks to the folks at the Ocala and Belleview LifeSouth Community Blood Centers who hosted the drive.
 
Stuart Mosher
 
Combination Blood & Marrow/Stem Cell Donor Drive:  Saturday & Sunday, May 10 & 11, 2003.  The Shannon Mosher Memorial Foundation, Inc. is co-hosting this drive with LifeSouth Community Blood Centers and the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). This drive is being held at two locations: Ocala’s LifeSouth Blood Center, 1607 E. Silver Springs Blvd (622-3544), [Saturday: 9 am – 2 pm and Sunday: 10 am – 4 pm]; and at the LifeSouth Blood Bank in the Belleview Regional Shopping Center (next to the K-Mart), 10353 S. US Hwy 441 (347-1313) [Saturday only: 9 am – 2 pm].
 
The basic requirements are that you give a unit of life-saving blood, and an additional small sample of blood that will be sent to a lab to determine your unique tissue-type. This may enable you to be placed on the NMDP Registry, which will assist transplant centers around the world to quickly identify a prospective donor as a possible match for a patient waiting on a life-saving transplant. Each year over 30,000 people are diagnosed with diseases that can be cured by a marrow or blood stem cell transplant, yet 70% of them will need a transplant from an unrelated donor. Over 3,000 patients on any given day are searching the bone marrow registries for a match.  You may be the perfect match for a patient who won’t live to this year-end without a transplant. For further information, please visit the Foundation website at www.shannonmosherfoundation.org; call Stuart Mosher at 678-377-7036 or email at stuartmosher@aol.com. 
                          
May 20, 2002
We had a successful combination blood drive and marrow/stem cell donor drive this past weekend considering it was the first one in Ocala since moving here last October. A total of 16 new donors were added to the NMDP Registry, and we received a lot of support from the local community...special thanks go to the folks at the LifeSouth Community Blood Centers who hosted the drive and to the Star-Banner, who ran a special article featuring the Foundation in their paper the week of the drive. Stuart Mosher Having moved from Atlanta, GA to Ocala, FL in October, 2001, we are working with LifeSouth Community Blood Centers to host the first of many annual Bone Marrow Drives in the Ocala area in Shannon's Memory. The details of the upcoming drive are recapped below.
 
Stuart & Teresa Mosher
 
A combination blood drive and marrow and blood stem cell donor drive initiated by The Shannon Mosher Memorial Foundation, Inc. (“Foundation”) will be held Saturday and Sunday, May 18 & 19, 2002 at two locations as follows: 
Both days at the Ocala Civitan LifeSouth Blood Center, 1607 E. Silver Springs Blvd (622-3544), which is across from the Piccadilly Cafeteria [Saturday 9 am – 2 pm and Sunday 10 am – 4 pm]; and Saturday only at the LifeSouth Blood
Bank in the Belleview Regional Shopping Center (where the K-Mart is located), 10353 S. US Hwy 441 (347-1313) between 9 am – 2 pm.
 
This is a drive to enable people who are willing to consider donating marrow or blood stem cells to any patient searching the National Marrow Donor Program (“NMDP”) to get their names on the NMDP registry (“Registry”) by taking the first step, which is simply having a unit of life-saving blood drawn.  You can visit the Foundation website at www.shannonmosherfoundation.org. 
What To Do: The first step in joining the Registry, along with giving a unit of blood involves:
1. Being informed about marrow and peripheral blood stem cell donation
processes;
2. Completing a brief health questionnaire;
3. Signing a form consenting to have your tissue type listed on the Registry; and
4. Providing a small blood sample to determine your tissue type.
 
Basic Donor Criteria:
1. Be between 18 – 60 years old, and in good general health;
2. No history of cancer, diabetes, heart disease or heart attack;
3. Not be excessively overweight – call LifeSouth (#5 below) with any
questions;
4. Not at high risk for contracting AIDS or the HIV virus;
5. For more specific medical guidelines, visit NMDP’s website: www.marrow.org or call LifeSouth’s Jim Hindman in Belleview at 352/347-1313 or Alison Roberts in Ocala at 352/622-3544. 
 
Cost:  Community Matching Funds have been made available that will help
to reduce the overall cost of tissue typing the blood of at least the first 75 Caucasian donors from $73 to $25 each, and The Shannon Mosher Memorial Foundation will cover the remaining balance due up to the first 75 Caucasian
donors who are approved to get on the registry during this 2-day drive. We’re hopeful that additional funding will become available prior to these drives so that more donors can get on the registry. Also, because of a dire need for donors of all minority ethnic groups to get on the national registry, another grant has been awarded that covers the total cost of tissue typing any approved minority donor at both drive locations.
 
Important Note: If you decide to join, you should carefully consider the commitment to remain on the Registry until age 61.  The NMDP is aware there are circumstances that may cause you to be unavailable when contacted.   When patients are searching, however, time is essential and knowledge of unavailability will avoid time wasted trying to contact and gain consent from unavailable volunteers.  If you have a change of address, a significant change affecting long-term health, or a change in personal commitment to be a potential donor, you are requested to please notify your donor center immediately. 
 
Contributions: Contributions will be graciousy accepted at both locations that will enable the Foundation to provide additional funding for subsequent drives, and to provide limited financial aid grants to leukemia patients for expenses that are not covered totally by insurance or through other sources.
 
Thank you for your generous support of the Foundation. The Foundation’s address is 3589 Rock Elm Court, Auburn, GA 30011 and the phone number is 678-377-7036. Please direct any emails to: .
 
THE SHANNON MOSHER MEMORIAL FOUNDATION, INC. (REG. # CH 13950) RECEIVES 100% OF EACH FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION (THERE ARE NO PROFESSIONAL SOLICITORS OR FUNDRAISERS CONTRACTED BY THE FOUNDATION WHO RETAIN ANY PERCENTAGE OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED).  A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, 1-800-435-7352. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. 
 
May 12, 2001 -Inaugural Annual Bone Marrow Donor Drive
With the addition of 42 new donors to the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) registry, the Foundation considers the results of the inaugural bone marrow drive in Shannon's memory on May 12, 2001 to be a moderate success. The Foundation will continue to seek ways to increase the number of committed bone marrow donors on the national registries in its effort to help save lives of future transplant patients. This brings the total to 873 new volunteer donors who have been added to the national registries including this drive and four other drives that the Foundation has co-hosted for other leukemia patients earlier in 2001. Become a part of the solution!! Get tested and become a registered bone marrow donor volunteer!!
 
SPECIAL EVENT:  SAVE A LIFE - BONE MARROW DRIVE, May 12, 2001. TAKE THE FIRST STEP!! GIVE A SMALL BLOOD SAMPLE. The inaugural annual marrow and blood stem cell donor drive in memory of Shannon is being sponsored by The Shannon Mosher Memorial Foundation, Inc., in cooperation with The Marrow Foundation, the American Red Cross/National Marrow Donor Program and Northside Hospital.  This drive will be held Saturday, May 12, 2001 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Perimeter Church. This is a drive to recruit a projected total of 1,200 people who are willing to consider donating marrow or blood stem cells to any patient searching the National Marrow Donor Program Registry. Participants’ names will be added to the Registry by taking the first step of having a small sample of blood drawn.   
 
SPECIAL NOTE TO PERIMETER CHURCH MEMBERS!!  IF POSSIBLE, PLEASE PRE-
REGISTER FOR THIS MAY 12 BONE MARROW DRIVE BEFORE OR AFTER SERVICES THE WEEKENDS OF APRIL 28-29 AND MAY 5-6 BY VISITING THE MARKETING TABLE IN THE LOBBY OUTSIDE THE SANCTUARY BY THE STAIRS.
 
What To Do: The first step in joining the Registry involves: 1. Being informed about marrow and peripheral blood stem cell donation processes; 2. Completing a brief health questionnaire; 3. Signing a form consenting to have your tissue type listed on the Registry; and 4. Providing a small blood sample to determine your tissue type.
 
Basic Donor Criteria:  1. Be between 18 – 60 years old, and in good general health; 2. No history of most cancers, medicine controlled diabetes, heart disease or heart attack; 3. Not be excessively overweight – call the Red Cross/NMDP (#5 below) with any questions; 4. Not at high risk for contracting AIDS or the HIV virus; 5. For more specific medical guidelines, call the Atlanta Red Cross/NMDP at 404/253-5582. 
 
Costs:  The cost of tissue typing each donor is $80.50 or, for 1,200 projected donors at this drive, a total of $96,600. With a grant from the Department of the Navy and Community Matching Funds that we've secured, plus a tax-deductible $30 fee assessed to the projected 1,100 Caucasian donors, we've accounted for $52,950 of these costs. The remaining balance that must be raised  is $43,650. Note: because of an acute and urgent need for non-Caucasian donors, there will be no fee assessed for the 100 projected minorities including, but not limited to, Asian/Pacific Islanders, Hispanics, African Americans, American Indian and Alaska Natives.   Fundraising is on-going in order to raise the additional funds to ensure that no donor is denied the opportunity to join the Registry. All fees paid and other donations made are tax-deductible, and 100% of all funds collected will go toward the actual tissue typing costs (no administrative fees, etc.).
 
Checks may be sent to The Shannon Mosher Memorial Foundation (a 501(c)(3) non-profit tax-exempt public charity), 3589 Rock Elm Court, Auburn, GA 30011 (note ‘bone marrow drive’ in the memo section).
 
Important Note: If you decide to join, carefully consider the commitment to remain on the Registry until age 61.  While there are circumstances that may cause you to be unavailable if contacted as a potential donor, timing is crucial for patients searching for a bone marrow match.  If you have a change of address, a significant change affecting long-term health, or a change in personal commitment to be a potential donor, you are requested to notify your donor center immediately. Directions to Perimeter Church, located at 9500 Medlock Bridge Rd., Duluth, GA 30097 (678) 405-2000:  At the corner of Old Alabama Rd. at Medlock Bridge Rd. (Hwy 141), Perimeter Church is located about 9 miles outside I-285 north of Atlanta. Take the Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Exit #31B off I-285 and follow it and Hwy 141 north toward Cumming & Dahlonega about 4 miles. Stay left on Hwy 141 at the split and go about 5 miles to the light at Old Alabama Rd. Go left and then take the first right into the Perimeter parking lot. The drive will be in the fellowship hall just off the lobby through the main entrance. For additional information about this drive, contact Stuart Mosher at 678-377-7036 or by email at: stuartmosher@aol.com.    
 
A major priority of the work done by The Shannon Mosher Memorial Foundation is to increase the numbers of committed donors on the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry, The Caitlin Raymond International Registry and other recognized bone marrow registries. If you have an interest in helping to coordinate a bone marrow drive in your area and/or if there is someone in your company who we might contact to determine if they would perhaps sponsor a bone marrow drive, please contact the Foundation at stuartmosher@aol.com.
 
There is an on-going need for an increase in the  diversity of donors to be registered and retained on the NMDP Registry, the Caitlin Registry, and other recognized worldwide bone marrow registries. While there are close to 5 million donors on the various registries (over 4 million on the NMDP Registry), not all patients are able to find the perfect match that would provide them with the best possibility for a successful transplant and extended life. These registries may be contacted as follows:NMDP at 1.800.627.7692 (or visit their website address at: www.marrow.org); orThe Caitlin Raymond International Registry at 1.800.726.2824 (or visit their website at: www.crir.org).
 
NOTE: After getting into a second remission, it was critical from a timing standpoint that Shannon receive her transplant at the earliest possible date before relapsing again. Also, Shannon had a very high risk cytogenetic abnormality, which made it more difficult for the doctors to find a perfectly matched (6 antigens out of 6 antigens) donor. The result was that her transplant came from a donor who was a 5 out of 6 match, which in itself reduces the chances for a successful procedure. Shannon died because of complications from the leukemia and the bone marrow transplant that she received. We were extremely grateful, as other patients and families are, that a suitable though not perfectly matched unrelated donor was willing to donate marrow that at least gave us hope (there are some success stories involving 5 out of 6 matched transplants). But this emphasizes the need for a larger number of diverse donors on the registries that will provide future leukemia patients with better chances to receive perfect matches.
 
Some facts from the NMDP reveal the following: Each year, over 30,000 people are diagnosed with leukemia or other life-threatening blood diseases. Only 30% of all patients in need of a bone marrow transplant actually find a matched donor within their family. On any given day, more than 3,000 patients are searching the NMDP Registry for a matched donor.Contributions: There are several ways that you can help financially to assist the Foundation in its efforts:
 
1. Make a contribution to the General Fund of the Foundation to help support our Patient Assistance program. 100% of all General Contributions are redirected back to leukemia patients in form of reimbursement checks for expenses that may not be paid by their insurance.
 
2. Make a contribution to the Bone Marrow Drive Fund of the Foundation, to help add new bone marrow donors to the national registries. These contributions go toward covering lab tissue typing costs, which is presently $73.00 for each donor.
 
3. Make a contribution to the Operating Fund of the Foundation to help with monthly operational expenses incurred in efforts such as meeting with other leukemia patients and those needing a bone marrow transplant and in promoting the need for more bone marrow donors on the national registries.
 
NOTE: Tax-deductible contributions to the Foundation for any one of the above three Funds (if no notation is made, the contribution will go to the General Fund) may be made by clicking on a PayPal button and proceeding accordingly or by sending a check or money order payable to :The Shannon Mosher Memorial Foundation, Inc., c/o Treasurer, 3589 Rock Elm Court, Auburn, GA 30011. Thank you for your generosity and desire to help. Please provide your name and full address, and the Foundation will send a written acknowledgement of your contribution.
 
All contributions to the above Funds are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. These Funds are administered by The Shannon Mosher Memorial Foundation, Inc., a 501 (c) (3), non-profit tax-exempt organization located at 3589 Rock Elm Court, Auburn, GA 30011, whose primary mission is to assist leukemia patients and their families; to increase the funding for leukemia and bone marrow transplant research; and to increase the number of bone marrow donors on the national registries.
 
THE SHANNON MOSHER MEMORIAL FOUNDATION, INC. (REG. #13950) RECEIVES 100% OF EACH FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION (THERE ARE NO PROFESSIONAL SOLICITORS OR FUNDRAISERS CONTRACTED BY THE FOUNDATION WHO RETAIN ANY PERCENTAGE OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED).  A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, 1-800-435-7352. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.
 
For additional information about the above specific Funds, please contact the Foundation at stuartmosher@aol.com, or call 1-678-377-7036.4. One area of special interest to the Foundation relates to "post-transplant complications." In order to attract significant contributions for research from corporations and other non-profit organizations and foundations, the Foundation has established The Shannon Mosher Memorial Research Fund at The Marrow Foundation in Washington, D.C.  This Fund has been established to raise research money that will be directed to specific Scholars and Post-Doctoral Fellows whose works specifically pursue the study of post-transplant complications, such as graft vs, host disease and other infectious diseases which, at the end of Shannon's 15-month battle with leukemia and just two months after her bone marrow transplant, are what took her from us.
 
Tax-deductible contributions to help in these efforts to find scientific breakthroughs that will reduce the mortality rates caused by post-transplant complications may be made to:The Marrow Foundation for The Shannon Mosher Research Fund. Mail these gifts to: 3001 Broadway St., N.E., Suite 100. Minneapolis, MN 55413-1753.For additional information about The Shannon Mosher Research Fund, please contact The Marrow Foundation at tmf@nmdp.org or call 1-202-638-6601, or contact The Shannon Mosher Memorial Foundation at stuartmosher@aol.com or call 1-678-377-7036.