Giving HOPE to Patients and Families in need!!
Who is BAHBAD you ask?? It is the Be A Hero, Become A Donor Foundation dedicated to “giving HOPE to patients and families in need”. Our goal is to educate and raise awareness to the need for individuals to donate blood on a regular basis, consider publicly banking their baby’s cord blood, and to join the Marrow and Donate Life Registries. We learned through our son Evan’s journey that without donors we had NO HOPE, and we want everyone to have HOPE. We also offer support to families who are fighting and those that have lost the fight, by bringing like-minded families together, offering assistance with their every need, and supporting organizations like ours that will make our world a better place.
The Give Blood Play Hockey Inline Hockey
Charity Tournament is a contributor to the BAHBAD
organization and is like-minded in its objectives. We
encourage you and those you know to to help others by becoming a
Donor and give the gift of life. Stop by the BAHBAD exhibit
at the tournament and register!
To learn more about BAHBAD and their many efforts, please visit
their web site: http://www.bahbad.org/.
Also, read the press release included below.
San Clemente Resident Receives
National Marrow Donor Program’s Allison Atlas Award
Chair of “Be A Hero, Become a Donor” recruits more than 3,000 volunteer marrow donors
MINNEAPOLIS – Nov. 10, 2008 – When Gina Cousineau’s son lost his battle with ALD (adrenoleukodystrophy) the night before his 10th birthday, she made it her mission to raise awareness about the need for marrow donors. On Nov. 7, the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) recognized Cousineau for her commitment to recruiting donors and conducting donor drives.
Cousineau, chair of “Be A Hero, Become A Donor,” received the Allison Atlas Award at the NMDP’s 21st Annual Council Meeting in Minneapolis. Cousineau was honored for her foundation’s work to raise awareness about the need for marrow and cord blood donors, and organ and blood donations.
Gina’s son Evan received a double cord blood transplant through the NMDP in June 2007. Sadly, his weakened immune system was not able to fight a secondary infection and Evan passed away in November 2007. To honor her son and to help other patients and families, Cousineau continues to raise awareness and conduct donor drives. She actively works to share her story in order to demonstrate to others that it’s possible to make a difference, even when faced with tragedy.
“If there had been no transplant, we would have had no hope. I want every family to have hope and save lives in Evan’s honor,” Cousineau explained.
Through her work, Cousineau has been instrumental in recruiting more than 3,000 members to the NMDP Registry and raising close to $40,000 to help cover tissue typing fees to add new members to the Registry. Her efforts continue to gain momentum as she reaches out to an ever-expanding community of people who want to help.
“Gina’s determination, compassion and hard work have inspired thousands of people to join the NMDP Registry,” said Dr. Jeffrey W. Chell, NMDP chief executive officer. “Her accomplishments are truly impressive and will make a difference in the lives of many patients and their families.”
The Allison Atlas Award is presented each year to a person who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to the donor recruitment and/or retention process and who has raised the general public’s awareness about the benefits of the NMDP.
About the National Marrow Donor Program
The NMDP facilitates unrelated marrow and cord blood transplants as a single point of access for a long-standing collaborative network of national and international leading medical facilities in marrow and cord blood transplantation. The NMDP connects patients, doctors, donors and researchers to the resources they need to help more people live longer and healthier lives. For more information, call 1 (800) MARROW-2 or visit www.marrow.org
source:
http://pub.psbpr.com/nmdp/council-awards/downloads/GinaCousineau-AllisonAtlasAward.doc
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