richard has his perfect love match but needs a marrow match

This week our friend posted, “Sometimes you just really want to scream “F@#K CANCER”, followed by some serious praying for a friend.” And I would have to agree with her one hundred thousand billion gazillion sixty forty two percent.

Over the years, we’ve been granted the privilege of participating in people’s stories at life changing moments. We keep in contact in between the big moments but we get often get invited back in when something amazing is happening that needs to be documented.

I remember Richard and Sonja’s wedding. She was full of love and excited energy and he looked like he just won the love lottery. There were touches of red in everything from the rose bouquets to the embellishments on the dress to the kilt Richard wore to the checkered table cloths at the reception. Sonja was organized and knew how to bring everything and everyone together.

The wedding day went perfectly and we created some beautiful photographs that still stand out in our minds many weddings and hundreds of thousands of photographs later. Some people are just meant to be together and spending time with Richard and Sonja, we realized that they were.

Fast forward a few years and they had two beautiful boys and life was going great. Until Richard was diagnosed with Leukemia. They pulled their socks up so Richard could fight the battle of a lifetime while Sonja juggled her teaching, gave the boys as normal a life as possible, visited Richard in Vancouver and accomplished all the other miscellaneous duties that fall into role of an awesome wife, mother and friend to many.

Finally, Richard was in remission and everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief. Tragically it was only a quick exhale before they all got swept up again in the chaotic world of doctors appointments, marrow tests, chemo, hospital stays and all the glamor that accompanies a Leukemia relapse.

After his second round of treatments, he is in remission again and is need of a marrow transplant. But there is no compatible match available through the OneMatch registry. So Richard, Sonja and the boys are waiting now. Sonja isn’t the type to just sit around while she’s waiting so they are living life to the fullest and she is doing an excellent job at educating and motivating people to become a part of the OneMatch registry which is the stem cell donation registry in Canada.

I signed up to be a donor last night. I won’t be a match for Richard because we’re from different ethnic backgrounds. I hope that one day I will be the match for some other Daddy and be able to give him the gift of a seeing his sons grow up.

When I told a few people that I signed up their first questions were around how much it would hurt. Online the response is that you are under anesthetic during the removal and won’t feel discomfort. Even if they are glossing over the painful part in the promo material it’s not going to hurt as much as giving birth. **edit – please see Richard’s clarifying comment below that most donations are now stem cells and similar to a blood donation rather than marrow**

It’s never going to hurt as much as losing someone you love. Without turning this post into a guilt trip, how could I let fear of temporary pain stop me from preventing someone’s family and friends live the rest of their lives with the emotional pain of losing someone they love?

There is a need for as many people as possible from as many different ethnic backgrounds to sign up for OneMatch. You sign up online, read about what’s all involved and expected, answer some questions and someone will contact you in a week to make it official. They send you a swab to take of yourself and then keep your information on file until they find someone who is a match. There are many people like Richard waiting for a match. Please sign up today and pass the word on by posting a link to this post or to OneMatch.

Here is the link to the registry: OneMatch

Here is Sonja’s blog, she’s a great writer. Here is Richard’s blog, he’s a great writer too. I enjoy reading their accounts of the same things because they have completely different perspectives and approaches.

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 24, 2010 – There was great news posted on Sonja’s blog today:

Yesterday’s appointment at VGH resulted in hearing some good news! There is a 95% chance they have found a match for Richard! I’m assuming the 5% chance of ‘no’ is taking into account the person needs to have some tests done and such, and possibility the person could say ‘no’.

It appears as though the transplant process (involving chemo AND radiation AND killing all of Richard’s bone marrow) will begin in the next 2-3 weeks!

Richard is scared as heck, but I’m hoping will be excited later (as this will hopefully save his life!)

I’m excited as heck, but will probably be scared later.

BACK TO OUR ORIGINAL POST:
Richard and Sonja’s wedding was in 2005 which was in our pre-blog era. So I dug up the film scans (!) so we could share a few photographs with you…