This summer our cousins who we love came to visit us at the lake with their kids. I marveled at the wonder of my sweet cousin’s daughter who has been in cancer remission for a couple years, and how amazing that must be for that family to be gradually, cautiously shifting away from so much heartache for so long. (I wrote about her back HERE and her end-of-cancer clip is HERE.) She ran around and played with the kids and my girls were so excited that she and a couple other cousins got to sleep over. Sadly, we found out a couple weeks later that she has relapsed and the cancer is back. I read the email from my mom telling us the news aloud to my girls through tears. Their jaws dropped and there was a moment of deep still, sadness. How my heart aches for this poor family and what this means to them. But they are strong, and filled with love and they are going to beat this thing. …Again. Many more details on their “Kisses for Cami” blog HERE. Right now they are hoping with all their hearts to find a bone marrow donor match to help save Cami’s life. Here’s a news clip with the information: Cami’s News Interview from Pat Carver on Vimeo. Dave and I are awaiting our swab kits to become donors. I just wanted to help spread the word to see if others are interested. How amazing would it be to be a perfect match for Cami or so many thousands of others who are waiting for a marrow match to save their lives? Click HERE for the “be the match” bone marrow donation information, and HERE for myths about about bone marrow transplant. We love you and your fighting spirit, Cami! And we love your strong family as well. We are cheering for you and sending up prayers upon prayers to Heaven.
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I don't want to nitpick, but this threw me off. You said she went into remission (which is a good thing) but really Cami relapsed right?
What a beautiful girl, our prayers are with their family!
This just touched my heart, what a sweet girl she is! I will be ordering my kit to become a donor today. Its something I have just never thought about before. I'll be praying for Cami and her family!
remission means the cancer is gone.
I am a donor. Was swabbed a few years ago. Praying for all of them.
There was a carnival down the street from me on Saturday for Cami. People waited in an hour line to be swabbed, even in the middle of a rainstorm. We are praying for a match!
Remission means that the cancer is gone. I think you mean to say she relapsed or the cancer came back! Can't get the oncologist mindset out of me since my mom is one even though i'm at college!
Also, love you blog!
She is so beautiful. What a sad thing for her family. Never thought of doing this before but will now.
So glad you posted about Cami and bone marrow donation today. I have been following cami's story since the beginning and was trying to remember how she was related to you family.
Just to say to everyone, please,please,please get on that bone marrow registry now. It's often something we think of or aim to do and then don't get round to it. Registration is easy and donating, if you're found to be a match for someone, is a relatively easy thing to do. Most people who have been lucky enough to be a match for someone, say that the inconvenience and minor discomfort of donating is nothing compared to the exhilaration you feel for potentially saving someone's life. This cause is dear to my heart as I have a dear friend only alive today because someone donated their bone marrow to her. She just celebrated her fifth anniversary since her transplant. It's truly one of the best gifts you may ever give x
I believe she mean "out of" remission. Easy mistake when you are writing such an emotional post. She is willing Cami into remission already:) I will pray for them.
I am a seven year survivor. Prayer, family, and love is what they need.
Funny how worlds collide that you think have nothing to do with each other.
I also live near the carnival that was held for Cami. And I go to the gym that had a lot of volunteers help with it.
I started signing up for the registry a few days ago, but got distracted before I could complete it.
Thanks for the nudge that reminded that I had been nudged before to get it done.
Fingers crossed and prayers sent that a match comes soon!
whoops, sorry I totally wrote the wrong word! You guys know what I mean though, right? Thanks for letting me know, I switched it. Just trying to spread the awareness for these great people I love so much!
I have been on the National Donor Registry for 7 years now. Recently I was tested to be a donor (stem cell, not bone marrow) but sadly did not make it past the 2nd round. What makes it worse is that the recipient was to be my big sister! Hopefully, with you mentining this on your popular blog, more people will sign up for the registry and someone that matches my big sister will be found! Thank you!
I am so disappointed! Because I am 45 they will not accept me without a $100 donation. I was ready to do it today.
Is there any way that someone can be tested for Cami that isn't in your area? I will join the registry but would love to be tested for Cami.
You can get swabbed and be on the registry regardless of where you are in the nation…it is a national registry. If you google the national marrow donor program you can find out how to get a swab kit or where to go in your area to get swabbed. There is a huge need for more people on the registry so please consider joining! Also, for everyone who reads these comments, if you have placed yourself in the registry in the past but have moved, please contact the nmdp to change your contact info. If they can't find you when you are a match then you can't save a life.
I'm so sorry to hear this. I read Cami's blog last time and just assumed she was fine-devastating to hear that the poor baby has to go through this again. I am registered with bethematch.org because a friend of my daughter's had to go a 2nd round with leukemia as well. This just should not be a part of a childhood-it breaks my heart what she will have to go through. Please let us know if the family wants cards or anything like that. In the mean time, prayers for that sweet little girl coming. I'm so very sorry-sitting here crying.
Sending prayers your families' way! My mom is the head of the Bone Marrow/Stem Cell program here in Grand Rapids, MI and I see daily both how amazing it can be and how much of a struggle it can be to get people registered. Thank you so much for sharing your story and inspiring others to take the first step towards becoming a donor. Let's get Cami that match! :)nn
Important for everyone to know that while you can't specifically get tested for one person, so many people require a match that you might be able to donate for someone else. Also, if not in the US, try the Canadian site, One Match. Countries will share donors with each other so you might be very far away and still able to help someone. Bone marrow donation is such a wonderful gift!
If you can't, consider donating blood. Many cancer patients will require several units over their hospital stay and your donation of blood can be very helpful. Blood matching comes down to mostly typing so you can help someone very local.
Thoughts going out to anyone that is going through a cancer diagnosis at this moment.
I just signed up to receive a kit and posted it to my Facebook to encourage others to do the same. Prayers and lots of hope for little Cami.
After reading your post and then getting lost in Cami's story on their blog, I immediately went and signed up for a match kit. You can let Cami's family know that there are so many people supporting them, even from very far away. Hopefully, by sharing this, Cami and so many other people can finally find a donor. And I hope I can be that donor for someone.
Just wanted to let you know that I linked to Cami's blog in Facebook and asked people to join the registry. I was on it for years and never got called, then got kicked off after being diagnosed with melanoma. (I actually cried more about that then I did about the melanoma, which was caught in Stage 1 and just involved getting a chunk taken out of my leg.)
Another precious thing cancer patients and others need from time to time is blood. With blood you don't need to wait to be called. Just go to a blood donation center as a walk in, or make an appointment. You fill out a questionaire to make sure you are eligible and then donate. Most areas only have a 2-3 day supply.
My cousin's two daughters have Leaky SCIDS which is a very rare (only two cases are reported a year in the US) disease. The oldest daughter of the two received a bone marrow transplant from her little brother Blair (only 5 years old). They made a movie for Be the Match to help raise awareness as well. Blair is the star…as a bobblehead. It's pretty cute for anyone who wants to check it out.
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=26588581
Also, you can find out more about the girls and Leaky SCIDs with this movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbUXFqd1v0M
Not trying to take away from your story, we've just been feeling the desire to look into being a bone marrow donor as well and thought I would share.
I wish I was eligible to donate, because I would in a heart beat. But I will be buying a cami*strong bracelet when they are for sale. Love to you and your family. Smiles across the miles.
God bless her. This is my greatest fear. My 6 year old son is now cancer free and in remission after fighting a rare and aggressive muscle cancer in 2010. Relapse is in my mind almost every single day. I just signed up for the bone marrow kit. I am praying for God to use me for this!
p.s. on the first link (the KSL one) I put, there are two available movies to watch. They look like they are the same but they are different. One is more focused on the Bobblehead Blair balloon ride, but both are good to watch.
Interestingly, I am on the bone marrow register – just by giving blood and filling in a form. I hope the register is international!
(I'd be totally terrified to have the lumbar puncture though!)
I just registered to be a donor tonight and am awaiting my kit in the mail. I hope I can help someone.
I've been donating blood since I was old enough and signed up to donate bone marrow 5 years ago. I FINALLY was called to donate my marrow three weeks after finding out I was pregnant last year so of course I was deferred. 🙁 Hoping the next time I get called on I'll be able to!
I tried to sign up for the registry, but "prexisting conditions" which I think are minor made me ineligible 🙁 Good Luck Cami, you'll be in my prayers.
This post truly tugged at my heart! Cami is so beautiful on the inside and out. She and her family will be in my prayers!