Letter from Liza's sister Amy
Hello all--

As some of you know and others do not, my sister Liza is currently in
Houston, TX at MD Anderson Cancer Center getting treatment for
Leukemia. We are thrilled that she is at the top-rated cancer
treatment facility in the country and that she has a really incredible
medical team working to get her healthy again.

She recently had a second bone-marrow transplant that was a little
different than the first as part of an experimental treatment that has
only been done on 8 other people, 7 of whom are in remission and doing
well so there is much reason for hope.  Unfortunately, this treatment
I not without its risks and complications and we have run into a big
one.  A little over a week ago Liza was admitted to the ICU for a lung
infection and remains in critical but stable condition.  She is
sedated and is intubated (has a breathing tube) so she is not
conscious.  But she is getting better slowly but surely which, the
doctors say, is the best way to go.  Slow progress is better for
ultimate success.

BUT as she works on getting better and being weaned from the breathing
tube, she is needing 2 platelet transfusions per day.  So WE NEED YOUR
HELP to find folks in the Houston area to donate platelets for Liza .
If she was back home, she would have plenty of folks to donate for her
but she is in Houston away from family and friends. (We do donate as
much as we can when we visit but she needs more.)

So what is platelet donation?
Platelets are the part of blood that allows you to clot.  Donating
platelets takes about 1 1/2-2 hours compared with whole-blood donation
which takes about 20 minutes.  The process is similar, they just have
a machine that separates out the platelets and then returns the rest
of your blood product back to you.  This is actually a bit less taxing
on the body than whole-blood donation.  MD Anderson allows a person to
donate every 48 hours.

How can someone donate for Liza?
1.  Call the MD Anderson Blood Donation Center to make an appointment
or for more info.  713-792-7777 Or go to their website:
http://www.mdanderson.org/departments/bloodbank/.  They have a few
different locations so you can find the most convenient one.

2.  Do NOT take any ibuprofen or Aspirin or green tea products for 48
hours before donating.  Eat a good meal before donating (at least
within a few hours).

3.  When you arrive at the donation center, they will give you
paperwork to fill out.  On the sheet that asks for all your contact
info, they ask if there is a designated recipient for your donation.
Write "Elizabeth Matlack 709193" in that space.  If you do not see
where to write this, please please ask.  This is really important.
(709193 is her patient ID number.)

Does it help if I am not the same blood type as Liza?
YES!  Liza is A+ but any donation helps.  When someone donates for
her, she gets a credit with the blood bank for a single donor donation
(as opposed to platelets put together from several whole blood
donations).  Single donor donations are much more effective.  The more
credits she gets, the more platelets are available to her.

I am not in Houston and don't know anyone there, what can I do to help?
Pass this email along to anyone who might know someone (or know
someone who knows someone) in Houston who is able to donate.  We are
counting on the whole six degrees of separation here so any way you
can spread the word might help make that connection.

Please also feel free to contact me if you have any other questions:
ameliahamarman@yahoo.com .

THANK YOU for your help by donating, spreading the word, etc.
etc......I and the rest of Liza's family deeply appreciate it.

Warmly,
Amelia/Amy