The above video gives an informative look at blood. Although short, it captures the importance of blood in maintaining vitality. Many (myself included) depend on blood products from other people and that dependence increases at a rate of 6% each year, according to the American Red Cross. Thank you to those who are able to [...]
The Bone Marrow Failure Disease Research and Treatment Act of 2009 is proposed legislation that would cost $8 million dollars annually and increase the federal government’s commitment to researching and treating acquired bone marrow failure diseases. The legislation directs the Health and Human Services Department to develop a comprehensive strategy to combat these diseases which [...]
Researchers have for the first time performed a successful bone marrow transplant to cure sickle cell disease in adults, according to the Los Angeles Times. The team reported it has developed a much-less-toxic transplant procedure and used it to cure nine of the first 10 patients studied. The hereditary disorder primarily effects those of African [...]
The video above highlights 6 year old Hispanic boy Antonio Rieder’s pursuit of a suitable match for the bone marrow transplant he needs. Taylor Matt, a teenager from New York who has also struggled to find a match through the registry because he is a quarter Native American. These stories are not uncommon among ethnic [...]
Here’s a short feature on Matt Fioretti at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance website. Fioretti, a mountain climber and guide, was diagnosed with aplastic anemia a short time after leading a climb along Nirekha Peak, in the Himalayas. When reflecting on the bone marrow transplant he eventually underwent he says, “My attitude was good. There [...]
In October I issued a letter of appeal to my insurance company after they denied coverage for a bone marrow donor search(read the appeal here). After receiving nothing back for weeks, I took the advice of a friend’s father and resent the letter certified. It cost $5.40 but did force a response, couldn’t use the [...]
In 1984 the United States government established the Organ Transplant Act banning the selling of organ and tissue. And while arguments can be made as to the ethics of profiting off solid organs, the argument of profiting off bone marrow presents a murkier case. In an opinion piece appearing in the Sun News, George Mason [...]
Regina Holliday’s husband Fred passed away in June 2009 after battling cancer. Fred’s medical experience left her appalled and so she responded by advocating for healthcare reform through art. The mural, 73 cents(seen above), adorns an outerwall of the BP gas station on NW Connecticut Ave in Washington D.C. It has been covered by media [...]
As I’ve mentioned in the past, my insurance company will not cover the search for a bone marrow donor. On Oct.13 they sent an official letter of denial, describing the “search and cell acquisition as a non-covered incidental.” I’ve responded with a letter of appeal. My expectation is they will issue a more formal denial [...]
In a David Goldhill essay highlighted here last week, he closes a paragraph with the following: “In case you wonder who a care provider’s real customer is, try reading one of these bills.” Below is a single page from and eight page hospital bill from my first stay in the hospital. On two occasions, I’ve [...]
A. Anemia News
