Gift of Life (Bone Marrow) Request & EZ Reads 3/8/11

Just a few pieces for a slow Tuesday, and one important request:

The 1-year old daughter of Hindy Poupko and Seth Galena (of Bangitout I believe), Ayelet Yakira Galena, was recently diagnosed with a rare bone marrow failure disorder and will need a bone marrow transplant. Gift of Life is an incredible organization which does simple cheek swabs (essentially a Q-tip in your mouth for a few seconds) and keeps a record of your bone marrow on file, so if you're ever a match for someone who needs it they'll know. I did a swab 10 years ago, and it was the easiest way to potentially help save someone's life - and you never need to do a swab again. From one of the e-mails I received:

Here are some ways you can help us out:

1. You and everyone you know can get your cheeks swabbed at the bone marrow and sent it to the gift of life here is the direct link https://www.giftoflife.org/Public/Online/Donor/Guidelines.aspx

2. If you think you are already in the registry, double check here: https://www.giftoflife.org/Public/quickcheck/default.aspx

3. Currently, Gift of Life (the Jewish bone marrow registry) does not have the funds to process all of the new registrants (each test costs $54) so consider donating to Gift of Life through our dedicated donors circle at: http://www.giftoflife.org/dc/Ayelet-Galena/blog.aspx. If you cannot afford it I am personally working on getting sponsors.

4. If you banked your child's cord blood and would consider donating it in the event that it is match - please be in touch with us

5. Forward this email to everyone you know.

6. Upcoming drives:

March 7th, 2:00-7:00pm, New York Region of Hadassah
5 West 58th Street, NY, NY 10019

March 19th and March 20th, 8:30-11:00 PM, The Jewish Center
131 W. 86th St., New York, NY

Thank you for your time and help, Hindy Poupko and Seth Galena

Elsewhere:

• A fantastic article in the NY Times called The Tire Iron and the Tamale, via Rafi, on a man who has been stranded three times on the side of the road in the past year, and the people who came to help him out. Excerpts:
  

  Each time, when these things happened, I was disgusted with the way people didn’t bother to help. [...] But you know who came to my rescue all three times? Immigrants. Mexican immigrants. None of them spoke any English. [...]
  
  His wife produced a large water jug for us to wash our hands in. I tried to put a 20 in the man’s hand, but he wouldn’t take it, so instead I went up to the van and gave it to his wife as quietly as I could. [...] After I said my goodbyes and started walking back to the Jeep, the girl called out and asked if I’d had lunch. When I told her no, she ran up and handed me a tamale.
  
  This family, undoubtedly poorer than just about everyone else on that stretch of highway, working on a seasonal basis where time is money, took a couple of hours out of their day to help a strange guy on the side of the road while people in tow trucks were just passing him by.
  
  But we weren’t done yet. I thanked them again and walked back to my car and opened the foil on the tamale (I was starving by this point), and what did I find inside? My $20 bill! I whirled around and ran to the van and the guy rolled down his window. He saw the $20 in my hand and just started shaking his head no. All I could think to say was, “Por favor, por favor, por favor,” with my hands out. The guy just smiled and, with what looked like great concentration, said in English: “Today you, tomorrow me.”

• Waiting For Next Year has a great piece on the NFL labor dispute, saying "Don't Pick Sides" in the Plain Dealer, then continuing on the blog.
• The Times has a fun piece on Cleveland envy among Knicks fans. That's what happens when 25% of the lowly Cavs' wins are against the same team.
  

Enjoy!