This Week
Looking For A Match
Red Cross in Detroit. "It involves completing a
health history form and giving a couple of table-
spoons of blood," Rozier says.
Information on possible donors, whether or not they
are deemed a match for Yaakov, will be placed on the
National Marrow Donor Program's registry of volunteer
marrow and blood stem-cell donors. The Minneapolis-
Synagogue coordinates bone marrow screening for young member.
based nonprofit organization facilitates unrelated donor
transplants for patients around the world.
Kim Kyro, clinical care coordinator for the University
SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN
of Michigan Bone Marrow Transplant Program at the
Staff Writer
U-M Health System in Ann Arbor, describes the dona-
tion of bone marrow as a procedure performed under
aakov Braver spent his 15th birthday at
general anesthesia, through needles inserted in hip
William Beaumont Hospital in Royal
bones. Risk factors include those associated with general
Oak last Saturday.
anesthesia, infection and bleeding from site.
Diagnosed with acute lymphocytic
Most donors who take prescription pain medication
leukemia in November 1998, he was beginning the
for a couple of days are back on daily schedule within
last eight months of a more than three-year-course
four days. Kyro describes the pain felt after the proce-
of chemotherapy when his white blood count low-
dure as "an ache, like after falling on the ice."
ered. Then it was determined he needed a bone mar-
With 4,275,303 names on the National Marrow
row transplant.
Donor Program's registry, as of Jan. 31, about 80
That's when neighbors and members of Shomrey
percent of those searching will find a match. But
Emunah, the synagogue where the Braver family
Amy Burger, media and public relations coordinator
belongs, decided to coordinate a bone marrow
for the program in Minneapolis, says, "It is most
screening to be conducted 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday,
likely that a match will be found within the patient's
March 18, at the synagogue.
own ethnicity."
"A kid going through adolescence should be wor-
Dr. Braver, too, understands that. "The highest like-
ried about hair and clothes and homework," says
Yaakov Braver
lihood of a match is in the Ashkenazi Jewish commu-
Stuart Lebenbom, a Shomrey Emunah member,
nity," she says.
friend and Southfield neighbor of the Braver family.
A $2,000 grant from My Friend's Care, a Mt.
cancer spreading to his brain. But then a bone mar-
"While other children play basketball and go to
Clemens
organization founded to help raise funds
row biopsy indicated a relapse of the disease.
school, Yaakov has endured grueling chemotherapy."
for
bone
marrow transplants and bone marrow
Yaakov's family was tested as possible bone marrow
Lebenbom describes Yaakov as stoic. "He's a won-
donor
recruitment,
will help offset the American
donors, but none proved to be the match needed for
derful, mellow, talented kid, a very gifted athlete,
Red
Cross'
cost
of
screening.
That is enough to pay
his transplant. Nov back en chemotherapy treat-
but very modest about it. He's very bright, but
for
the
first
95
individuals
screened.
A fund was set
ments, his mother says it may bring him back into
understated. Unfortunately, the leukemia keeps him
up
by
the
synagogue
to
help
cover
additional
costs.
remission but probably will not be a cure.
from doing the things he likes to do."
Lebenbom
urges
potential
donors
to
be
tested.
"It
Those participating in the 10-minute screening
His mother, Dr. Celia Braver, says he was "doing
is
quick,
convenient
and
only
requires
10
minutes
of
will spend more time on paperwork than testing,
great" after years of receiving daily oral chemothera-
your
time,"
he
says.
"And
it
could
save
the
life
of
a
according to Barbara Rozier, marrow recruitment
py treatments and monthly injections of the medica-
very fine young man."
specialist for the Southeastern Michigan American
tion into his spinal fluid to reduce the chance of the
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seats 4 Kidz
Shortly after Yaakov Braver's diag-
nosis of leukemia, family friend
Smart Lebenbom picked him up
and took him to a football game.
"It gave a different focus to the
day and it became obvious that
there is a desperate need for kids to
take a vacation from their cancer
for a few hours," Lebenbom says.
After discovering others also
willing to share their seats, he
established Seats 4 Kidz to enable
kids with cancer and their fami-
lies to attend sporting events. "I
wanted to provide the opportuni-
ty for a respite for cancer, for kids
like Yaakov to have something on
the calendar to look forward to."
PETITION POWER from page 12
state Legislature, Rep. Marc Shulman
(R-West Bloomfield) cast his ballot in
favor of the new CCW law, while
Gilda Jacobs (D-Huntington Woods)
opposed it.
"There are some good things in the
law," Jacobs said, "but they are far
outweighed by the number of new
guns it will put on the street."
Although the CCW law requires
trigger locks, reports by consumer
3/16
2001
14
Seats 4 Kidz recently became a
partner in the program with
Gilda's Club Metro Detroit in
Royal Oak, an organization offer-
ing support to anyone touched by
cancer. They will keep and distrib-
ute tickets collected by Lebenbom.
To donate or request tickets on
behalf of a child with cancer, call
Stuart Lebenbom at (313) 961-7600.
agencies have shown these locks are
easy to disengage, she said.
"The more guns there are hanging
around people's homes, the more chil-
dren will be able to get them," Jacobs
said. "So we're not just talking about
gun violence — we're talking about
accidental shootings, suicides and
domestic altercations."
"The main reason I supported it
was it's greater gun safety protection,"
said Shulman, who also has sponsored
a bill that would have increased
Bone marrow screening for Yaakov Braver will
take place 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, March 18, at
Shomrey Emunah, 25451 Southfield Road,
Southfield; (248) 559-1533. Potential donors
must be ages 18-60. For donor criteria, call the
leukemia hotline at (313) 494-2774.
Tax-deductible contributions to help cover the
cost of the screening may be made out to
Shomrey Emunah, send to address above.
parental liability if children gained
access to their firearms. That bill was
passed by the House but never left the
Senate committee.
Shulman cited the training and
storage provisions of the new law. In
addition, he said, "A survey taken by
the National Center for Policy
Analysis of 1,800 felons in 10 states
found them more concerned about
running into armed victims than
police."
Shulman said a survey of his con-
stituents in western Oakland County
showed about 65 percent support his
position the CCW law.
David Fink, of People Who Care
About Kids and who lives in
Shulman's district, said he was "horri-
fied" by his state representative's
"insensitivity to the needs of our dis-
trict and the needs of people across
the state.
"When one of 30 Michigan adults
will be carrying handguns," Fink said.
"No place will be safe."
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