My Brother Lars

I know so many of you know and have become very good friends with Lars. So I want to explain Lars from my perspective. Lars Larsen was a piece of work. We are all keenly aware that Lars had a rough exterior. For those who were brave enough to break him down, this is what you found.

You found a witty, caring, genuine person who always made the time to make you laugh and smile. From the time Lars was a child to his untimely death Lars always kept things light. Lars had a great perspective of life. As a man, husband, and father Lars always wanted to do the right thing and he always used humor in his approach.

Lars always had a knack for scaring me. From riding down Mt. Hamilton on the wrong side of the road to standing on a ledge looking over half dome in Yosemite, Lars had a passion for adventure as dangerous as it was. Lars eventually mellowed a tad and found the right side of the road. I call her Monica.

I also call her Lars’ equal. He had to marry her, because she was the only person who could handle him 24 hours a day. Together they made the perfect team. On their team they had the Zag family, the Larsen family, and two up and coming superstars named Savannah and Sorina. When my brother became sick, it was devastating, unfair, and cruel.

Why did this have to happen to a man who had so much to offer? It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Lars has affected everyone he knows long term. Everyone should be able to take a piece of Lars and instill him into your life. Take the time to figure out what it is and make him a part of your daily life. Lars has taught me so much. I can take so many things from him….he was successful in so many different ways. I want to share some with you today:

Lars found happiness in his family and job

Lars was successful academically and professionally

Lars always gave people the benefit of the doubt

Lars knew how to forgive and forget

Lars would always do the right thing and tell you if you didn’t

Lars had friends from all walks of life

Lars was always willing to help

Lars was pretty damn funny

Lars had energy (lots of it)

Lars was a hard worker…never afraid to get his hands dirty

Lars had faith and found peace

Lars had a lot of love and most importantly…

Lars was a fighter

Lars is a champion in so many ways and his team are champions as well. We have all learned so much through Lars. I know Lars has touched all of you in some way and it is my sincerest hope that he lives on in everyone here today.

Nels Larsen

Eulogy

The following is the eulogy that Lars' brother Nels gave at his viewing on June 11th...

Lars Christian Larsen was born on April 17,1967 in San Jose, California. Lars enjoyed childhood to its fullest. Lars swam and played water polo competitively, enjoyed the company of his friends, and always made the best of any situation. Lars always found the right moment to make those around him laugh.

In high school, Lars was always the center of attention, just as he finds himself again today. From wearing ridiculous Hawaiian shirts to school everyday and finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, Lars always made those around him smile and laugh. Lars went on to San Jose State University where he was able to find 30,000 more people to entertain. Lars spent his college years studying advertising, life guarding at the San Jose State swim pool, working at Raging Waters Waterslide Park, and the Athletes Foot shoe store.

In Lars’ life of leisure he became friends with so many different people. His energy, smile, and complete zaniness always drew people to him. Lars was kind to everyone. It never mattered who you were…if you could handle Lars; he would be your friend. Lars earned a degree in advertising from San Jose State. After college, Lars decided he liked school so much; he would try it in another state.

Ohio became the new home for Lars. Lars attended The Ohio State University and pursued his dream of becoming a dentist. Dr. Lars Larsen graduated from The Ohio State Dental School in 2000. Lars made the state of Ohio and all of its residents his new friends. While attending Ohio State, Lars met his equal. We all know her as Monica. Lars finally found someone who could handle him 24 hours a day and they married.

Lars and Monica moved to Central Michigan where Lars practiced dentistry. In, August of 2001 Savannah Larsen was born. In March of 2004, Lars’ second daughter Sorina was born. Lars was able to do what few people in this world could. He was able to live with three girls. Those girls were the light of Lars’ life. Lars would do anything to make those girls happy and smile everyday. Lars and his family moved back to Ohio and he began to practice at Whetstone Dentistry in Ohio. While practicing dentistry, Lars was able to meet and interact with so many people. He made going to the dentist fun.

People loved to come and see Doctor Lars and he loved people in return. Everyone left Whetstone Dentistry with a smile on their face after seeing Lars. That is just the kind of man he was. Lars and Monica settled down in Lewis Center, Ohio and Lars grew to enjoy his suburban life.

In September of 2005, Lars was diagnosed with Lymphoblastic Lymphoma and went into remission eight months later. In September of 2006, Lars was diagnosed with ALL and AML Leukemia. Lars began the greatest fight of his life. With the love and support of so many people, Lars was able to fight and battle Leukemia like no other person could. You often hear when people pass from cancer that they were fighters, but Lars was different in that he gave the ultimate sacrifice to try to get well. The most difficult part of this illness was leaving the girls behind to be treated in Houston, Texas. Only Monica could really understand the anguish Lars faced in making such a decision. Such a sacrifice is made only by people with real courage and inner strength. Many of us will never understand the emotional and physical suffering Lars endured trying to get well.

To say Lars got a tough break would be an understatement. Although leukemia took his life, nothing took his spirit. Until the very end Lars had an opinion whether we liked it or not and he was able to get a few final insults in to some deserving medical staff before leaving us. Most importantly, everyone should know how much Lars loved the girls. To leave you all with a loving memory of him, the night before he passed the family was at the hospital and the girls had blown the latex gloves up as balloons. Lars was nearly unconscious but would hit the balloons back to the girls as much as he was able to play with them one last time. We should all be so lucky to have a dad like that.

Lars lost his battle with Leukemia on June 7, but he left this earth with so much more happiness and love than most people ever get a chance at. Lars was able to be finally at home when he passed with his family hovering over him driving him crazy one last time. We all take great comfort knowing he was able to be with us and his X box in the same room when his spirit left. There are a few things Lars would like us to learn from his experience and the main one is to appreciate your spouse and children. Lars knew that Monica was the person keeping him going through this difficult ordeal and she was always there for him and took exceptional care of him. You have Monica to thank for your extra time with Lars and he would want us to all be thankful to her.

Lars will be missed, but never forgotten. His energy, humor, integrity, and zest for life were contagious and will live on through so many of us that he was able to meet, know, and love. He left the best of him behind with his precious daughters, Savannah and Sorina. Finally, Lars is so thankful for all the love, support and sacrifice of his family and many friends gave during his illness. He was truly overwhelmed by the outpouring of love he received. Although he will be missed by so many of us as the days and years roll on, he would want us to enjoy life to the fullest and always take the high road with one another.

Goodbye for now Lars, we love you and you will always be with us in our hearts.

Continuing the Fight

I’ve decided to keep the blog up with the hope that some of the information that was originally compiled in support of Lars may be helpful to others who are fighting the battle against Leukemia. Lars fought a valiant fight, so it’s important that we all honor his legacy by continuing to spread the word about the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) registry. I think it’s something that he would have wanted.

Please consider testing and inclusion in the NMDP registry if you have not already done so. The donor that was found for Lars didn’t come from his circle of friends & family (because a match couldn’t be found), but rather from a Good Samaritan that had registered out of consideration for those fighting Leukemia.

There’s no doubt in my mind that Lars would have been first in line to register himself, had he been faced with the same request.

Please also consider a donation to Savannah & Sorina's educational fund. Checks made payable to "The Savannah & Sorina Larsen Education Fund" may be sent to:

   Savannah & Sorina Larsen Education Fund
   Fifth Third Bank
   Lewis Center Branch
   8877 Owen Field Dr.
   Powell, OH 43065

I wanted to take the opportunity to thank all of you that assisted in Lars’ cause. Difficult circumstances tend to expose ones true colors and this experience certainly demonstrated that Lars was surrounded by people of impeccable character. It has certainly been a privilege to meet and get to know many of you.

Respectfully yours,
Mike

Service Information

Friends,
Here is viewing and services information for Lars:

1) Viewing will be held on Monday, June 11th from 2 to 4pm and 6 to 8pm at Rutherford Funeral home on 515 High Steet, Columbus [Map]

Please note: The original address (2383 N. High Street was erroneous)

2) Services will be held on Tuesday, June 12th at 10am at St. Patrick Church, 280 North Grant Ave, Columbus [Map]

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Savannah & Sorina's educational fund. Donations can be sent to:

5th 3rd Bank
Lewis Center Branch
8877 Owen Field Dr.
Powell, OH 43065
Attn: Savannah & Sorina Larsen Education Fund

Makes checks payable to "The Savannah & Sorina Larsen Education Fund"

Goodbye Friend

It saddens me to pass on to everyone that Lars lost his battle earlier this evening. I received a phone call from his brother Nels, who was with him in Columbus when he passed away. On Sunday, the doctors in Texas concluded that the Leukemia had returned and that they had exhausted all medical options to help him fight the disease.

From what I understand, Lars decided that he wanted to be home to spend his final days, so they packed up and returned to Ohio earlier this week. After spending a day or two in hospice care, they moved Lars back home where he was most comfortable.

Several of Lars’ friends and I had planned to travel to Columbus on Friday to pay one last visit, but unfortunately we missed our opportunity. We are still planning on making the trip so that we may say goodbye.

I’ll try to post information regarding services, should Monica want to make them public. I’m not sure how the family wishes to deal with guests and condolences, but I will make every attempt to communicate their wishes here once I have a chance to talk to them on Friday night when I arrive.

Mike

Lars Update: 6/3

I spoke with Monica this morning. She said Lars is now in the intensive care unit at MD Anderson. He is still in need of white cell transfusions, so if you are in or around Houston, or if you know someone who might be willing to donate, he is still in need of your assistance.

Monica is also going to be filing an appeal to the State of Ohio Insurance Commissioner, in lieu of Lars rejected insurance claim for his bone marrow translplant. I mention this here as a long shot attempt to get this recognized by someone who might have some connections with this government agency. It's unbelievable to think that anyone would deny an insurance claim for a life saving medical procedure, but here we are. Make sure you think of that the next time you cast a vote a politician at any level.

More to come as it becomes available.

Mike

Get the Word Out

It is still vital that we get the word out about white cell donors for Lars. He needs frequent transfusions to help fight his infection. If you're too far to donate, help spread the word.

Lars' brother Nels has been posting requests for donors on Craigslist. Here is one of his posts: http://houston.craigslist.org/vol/338119547.html

If you know of community message boards that residents of Houston frequent, post a similar message.

Your Help Needed Urgently

*** This post has been updated on 5/23 with more relevant info on donating blood for Lars ***

I received this from Monica this morning...

Hi! I am afraid that I have bad news concerning Lars. He has developed a life threatening infection that started in his sinus and has spread through parts of his body. His only chance of survival is through white cell donors. This can help him maintain a temporary immune system. If anyone has any contacts in Houston who would be willing to come and get screened and then come back to donate please let me know. He needs a donor everyday for a few months. Please forward this message to anyone you know. You can donate every other day up to four times a year.

Thank you,
Monica

Some additional points:

Thankfully Lars was able to find a donor match, but his case is now caught up in an insurance fight. His insurance company has denied his claim for the funds to conduct the bone marrow transplant ($500k).

While this fight goes on, he contracted a fungal infection in his sinuses, because he has essentially no immune system to combat against the infection. He is in dire need of white cell transfusions in order to fight off the the infection that is attacking him.

This is now a plea for help. If you know of anyone in the Houston area that might be willing to donate blood, please pass this information on to them. From what I'm told blood type is irrelevent, so anyone can donate. Monica is desperately trying to recruit donors in the Houston area, while he is at the University of Texas/M.D. Anderson Cancer Center)

There is a 3 step process to donate blood / white cells:

1. Prescreening at M. D. Anderson Blood Bank

Weekends:
Blood Donor Center - Main Building

1515 Holcombe Blvd., Room R2.1183
Main Building, Floor 2, Elevator A, next to Diagnostic Clinic
Parking validated upon request
TMC Garages 2 and 10 or ACB/CPB garage
(713) 792-7777

8:00am to 4:00pm

Weekdays:
Blood Donor Center - ACB

1220 Holcombe Blvd., ACB 2.2173
Mays Clinic Building (ACB), Floor 2, near the Tree Sculpture
Parking validated upon request
TMC Garages 2 and 10 or ACB/CPB Garage
(713) 792-7777

2. After you are prescreened a blood bank representative will call to let you know if you are eligible. If so, contact Fred Spataro at 281-300-1677 and he will help you schedule your day of donation. On the day previous to your donation you can go to the Blood Donor Center in the main building from 8:00am to 7:00pm. They will do another small screening and give you an injection and two pills. You take these at 8:00pm the night before donation.

3. On the day of donation, you report to the Blood Donor Center in the main building at 8:00am for donating which takes approximately 2 hours.

If you have any questions or cannot get a hold of Fred, contact Monica Larsen 614-448-6478.


A few answers for questions we have been getting:

- You cannot donate if you are nursing or pregnant.
- Blood type does not matter.
- You cannot give from out of town. Everything has to be done at MD Anderson because the cells do not live long enough to transport.


Please reference the following patient:
Mr. Lars Larsen
Patient #: 705400


Please feel free to pass this on to friends and family.

If you have any questions, please email me at: marrow_donor@yahoo.com

Thank You,
Mike

Off to Houston

Most of you probably already know that Lars is seeing a specialist in Houston. I figured this was the time to jump on a plane and pay him a visit. I'll be there the week of 3/19 (thru 3/26).

I have to suspect that their financial situation is probably getting a bit dicey. So I'm trying to figure out how to raise some money for them. Unfortunately, things like mortgage payments and car insurance don't go away when you get sick.

If you would like to make a cash donation to the Larsens, drop me an email at marrow_donor@yahoo.com. I'd love to be able to show up on Monday with a fat check for the two of them.

Mike

A Message from Lars

Received this email from Lars...he asked me to pass it on. He'll be posting here directly as soon as he's feeling up to it. Keep sending those thoughts and prayers.

Mike

Hi everybody. The wonderful creators of this website, Mike and Sonya, have graciously allowed me to post on the blog. The both of them thought it might be more relevant to have information straight from the jack ass', er horses' mouth. so here it goes.

Before I say anything about myself I would like to thank everyone whom has expressed well wishes, support, prayer and has give bone marrow samples or blood on my behalf-or on the behalf of others. The constant flow of support from everyone has been
tremendous and has given me and my family a tremendous boost. It is nice to be loved and cared about, whether I deserve it or not. Seriously, you all have been great and I can not express enough gratitude for all you have done.

Mike has updated the web site about a possible match and as of this moment his information is accurate. I probably have a match, but until I get into remission, nothing can be confirmed and I can not move forward with the transplant. I failed to get into remission after my first treatment of chemotherapy and had an
additional blast about a week before thanksgiving. I am now at home waiting for my existing bone marrow to recover from the chemotherapy to see if I am in remission. As soon as something significant occurs, I will update you.

Monica and the kids are doing relatively well through all of this, particularly due to the support and love of all the people around us. Again, I would like to thank you all.

Love,
Lars, Monica, Savannah and Sorina.

Match?

For those of you checking in on a Lars update, I exchanged emails with him briefly last week and he mentioned that they think they found a donor match. They still needed to track down the donor to see if that person was still willing to donate, so this great news should be termpered with the fact that he's still not out of the woods yet.

Hopefully I'll have more news before Thanksgiving. This shouldn't prevent anyone who is still thinking of getting tested from continuing to do so. There's still a chance that this doens't pan out. There's also the opportunity to synch with another person in need of marrow.

More to come on Lars later.

PS, I think his Buckeyes winning is a sign of good things to come :)

Getting Tested in Ohio

Found these testing centers in Ohio:

Ohio
Center ID: 039
National Marrow Donor Program at Ohio and Indiana Region
2 Summit Park Drive
Suite 210
Cleveland, OH 44131
(216) 447-0880
(888) 862-7769

Center ID: 039
National Marrow Donor Program at Ohio and Indiana Area
995 East Broad Street
1015 Building, Room 101
Columbus, OH 43205-1322
(614) 253-7981, ext. 2417
(800) 338-8086, ext. 2366

Center ID: 076
Community Blood Center
Community Tissue Services
349 South Main Street
Dayton, OH 45402-2715
(937) 461-3296
(800) 388-4483
http://www.cbccts.org

Getting tested in Michigan

As this blog starts to make the rounds, wanted to make sure info like the following gets circulated:

Reader Nicole said...

To get on the registry in Michigan call 1-800-471-3020. The cost is $25 for caucasians, free for anyone else. They will send you a consent form, I got mine in a day, you mail it back and they send you a simple swab kit. All of the people that I have spoken to from the registry are very nice and helpful. PLEASE consider doing this, no one is more deserving than the Larsen family!!

Also, here are test centers in Michigan:

Center ID: 030
National Marrow Donor Program at Great Lakes Region
100 Mack Avenue
P.O. Box 33351
Detroit, MI 48232-5351
(800) 471-3020
Upcoming Donor Drives

Center ID: 030
National Marrow Donor Program at Great Lakes Region
3100 West Road
Park Place Business Center
Building B, Suite 202
East Lansing, MI 48823
(517) 337-2980
(800) 471-3020
Upcoming Donor Drives

Center ID: 029
Michigan Community Blood Centers
1036 Fuller Avenue, Northeast
P.O. Box 1704
Grand Rapids, MI 49501-1704
(616) 233-8604
(866) 642-5663 (in-state)
http://www.miblood.org

An Open Email

This is the email I've been circulating. Pass it on to anyone that you know...

Friends -

I'm writing to ask for your help. As many of you know, our friend Lars Larsen recently overcame a battle with non-hodgkins lymphoma after 6 months of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. We were all ecstatic that Lars was able to beat this awful disease. Never one to take the easy route, Lars was recently diagnosed with leukemia.

For those of you who don't know Lars, he is one of our dearest and oldest friends. He's that person who epitomizes the term "good guy". Only this good guy has been dealt a tough hand a second time in his life, so we're trying everything in our power to make sure he doesn't fight this battle alone.

In order to help him beat this disease, we're working to help find a suitable bone marrow donor. A marrow transplant will save his life, and we're determined to help find a match. We're asking all of our friends (and their friends) to consider the gift of marrow donation.

About 30% of all patients in need of a transplant are able to find a matching donor from within their families. The remaining 70%, however, must search the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry of donors.

Sonya and I actually joined the registry back in the 90’s, but have yet to be identified as suitable donors for anyone as of yet.

We’re asking all of you to consider this test. Entry into the NMDP could help Lars as well as many other Leukemia patients who are in need of marrow transplants.

For those of you located in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Stanford Hospital Blood Center will run this test for free for any Caucasian donor who contributes a pint of blood. Minority donors may be tested without the blood donation free of charge.

You can schedule an appointment with the Blood Center by calling Derek or Diane at (650)723-5532

For those of you outside of the Bay Area, you can find donor info at http://www.marrow.org. or by calling Irma Naverez at NMDP (510)601-6233.

For more information on donating bone marrow, the NMDP has established a great FAQ at: http://www.marrow.org/DONOR/ABCs/index.html

I’m blogging info on general marrow donation and Lars’ progress at: http://marrowdonor.blogspot.com/ The information I listed in this email and much more can be found on this blog.

This is a huge sacrifice to make, but it is one that could save a life. Help us find a donor for Lars.

Sincerely,
Mike and Sonya Lee


P.S. You can also help by spreading the word. Pass this email on to a friend or co-worker.

ABCs of Marrow or Blood Cell Donation

Reprinted from: www.marrow.org - ABCs of Marrow or Blood Cell Donation

What is a marrow or blood cell transplant?
A marrow or blood cell transplant is a potentially life-saving treatment for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood diseases. A transplant replaces a patient's unhealthy blood cells with healthy blood-forming cells from a volunteer donor. Patients who do not have a suitably matching donor in their family may search the NMDP donor Registry for a donor. The three sources of blood-forming cells are marrow, blood-forming cells collected from the blood (called a PBSC donation) and umbilical cord blood.

How are patients matched with donors?
Blood or cell samples from adult donors or cord blood units are tested, and the tissue or cell type is added to the NMDP Registry. Doctors can search this Registry when they need to find a donor whose tissue type matches their patient's.

How does a person's race or ethnicity affect matching?
Because tissue type is inherited, patients are most likely to match someone of their same race and ethnicity. There is a special need to recruit more donors who identify themselves as: Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latino.

How are blood-forming cells collected?
Marrow donation is a surgical procedure performed in a hospital. While the donor receives anesthesia, doctors use special, hollow needles to withdraw liquid marrow from the donor's pelvic bones. Many donors receive a transfusion of their own previously donated blood. A donor's marrow is completely replaced within four to six weeks.

PBSC donation takes place at an apheresis center. To increase the number of blood-forming cells in the bloodstream, donors receive daily injections of a drug called filgrastim for five days before the collection. The donor's blood is then removed through a sterile needle in one arm, passed through a machine that separates out the cells used in transplantation, and the remaining blood is returned through the other arm.

Cord blood is collected from the umbilical cord after a baby's birth. The cord blood is taken to a cord blood bank where it is tested. Cord blood units that meet eligibility standards are frozen and stored for future use. The collection does not pose any health risk to the mother or baby, and does not affect the birth process in any way.

Does donating hurt? What are the side effects?
Marrow donors can expect to feel some soreness in their lower back for a few days or longer. Donors also have reported feeling tired and having some difficulty walking. Most donors are back to their usual routine in a few days. Some may take two to three weeks before they feel completely recovered.

PBSC donors report varying symptoms including headache, bone or muscle pain, nausea, insomnia and fatigue while receiving injections of filgrastim. These effects disappear shortly after collection. During the collection, donors may experience a tingling feeling or chills. These effects go away shortly after donating. When asked about their discomfort, most donors are quick to point out that it was worth it to help save a life, and they would be willing to do it again.

How does a patient receive a transplant?
After a patient undergoes chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment to destroy their diseased marrow, the healthy donor cells are given directly into the patient's bloodstream. The cells travel to the marrow, where they begin to function and multiply.

How does a person become a volunteer donor?
Potential donors must be between the ages of 18 and 60 years old and meet health guidelines. A small blood sample or swab of cheek cells is taken and tested to determine the donor's tissue type. Potential donors also complete a brief health questionnaire and sign a consent form to have their tissue type listed on the Registry.

Creating More Marrow Matches

Reprinted from The Marrow Foundation - Creating More Marrow Matches Through
Recruitment of Potential Donors with Diverse Tissue Types

Because tissue types are inherited, patients are most likely to find a match within their own racial or ethnic group. People of color represent only about one quarter of the total volunteer donors on the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP) Registry. Because the Registry holds fewer potential donors with the same racial or ethnic background, those communities of people are less likely than Caucasians to find potentially matched donors.

There is a special need for volunteer marrow donors from the Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native communities. And the need to recruit more Black and African-American donors is particularly acute, because their heritage tends to be the most diverse. Every new potential donor could represent a unique tissue type. However, it has been shown that minority volunteer donors add unique tissue types to the Registry at a higher rate than do Caucasian volunteers.

While volunteer donors from all racial and ethnic backgrounds will continue to be the core of the Registry, The Marrow Foundation is devoting its resources to support the NMDP's efforts to recruit more ethnically diverse donors. In this way, the NMDP can assure that the Registry more nearly reflects our nation's population.

About 30% of all patients in need of a transplant are able to find a matching donor from within their families. The remaining 70%, however, must search the NMDP Registry of donors.

The Process to Join:

When volunteers join the NMDP Registry, they are tested to determine their HLA type. A small blood sample or swab of cheek cells is collected from the volunteer donor and tested to identify which HLA markers are present. Information on each potential donor is added to the NMDP Registry, which can then be searched by physicians who are considering a transplant for their patients.

Marrow Donation FAQ

I found a great Frequently Asked Questions post on bone marrow donations and the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry on the AMA website at:

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/12080.html

Check it out if you have more questions on donating bone marrow.

How to become a marrow donor (SF Bay Area)

Reprinted from Stanford School of Medicine Blood Center - How To Become A Marrow Donor

Health & Safety Requirements
- Be between 18 & 60 years of age
- Weight normal for height and age (not more than 25% over)
- No auto-immune disease
- No personal history of cancer or diabetes
- No hip, neck or back problems
- No asthma

1. Contact Stanford Blood Center's Marrow Donor Coordinator and make an appointment to donate blood and request that it be screened for the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). Phone 650-723-5532 or e-mail NMDP_SMSBC@hotmail.com. A limited number of screening appointments are available to blood donors each week and at no charge.

2. Your blood will be HLA-Screened for the NMDP when you donate a pint for the community. HLA typing (Human Leukocyte Antigen) and virology (infectious disease) testing is done at Stanford laboratories. After eligibility is determined, your blood donation will be used to meet local patient needs. Your HLA type is entered at the Stanford Blood Center and forwarded to the National Marrow Donor Program electronically. The NMDP searches for matches for patients worldwide. Only the Blood Center knows donor names and addresses.

Note: The Stanford blood center offers marrow testing without blood donations for minorities.

3. When a preliminary match is determined by the NMDP, you will receive a call or letter from the Blood Center asking you to give another blood sample for further testing. If the tissue typing determines you are compatible, a special informational meeting with a Blood Center physician and the Donor Coordinator is scheduled. The Transplant Center caring for the recipient will inform us whether they want you to undergo Marrow Harvest or Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSC) collection. After being fully informed, you then can make the final decision on giving your stem cells.

4. You will be given a complete physical exam at the Stanford Hospital and Clinics and meet the Transplant Team. There is no charge to the donor.

5. Prior to a bone marrow harvest, a donor gives at least one unit (pint) of blood for their own use prior to the marrow collection procedure in the event a transfusion is needed. PBSC donors receive granulocyte colony stimulating factor (GCSF) injections prior to their procedure.

6. Marrow/Stem Cell donations are scheduled at least two weeks in advance, giving the donor time to arrange business and personal commitments. Your "Living Gift of Life" will be delivered to your patient by the Blood Center staff and you will be released from the hospital the day after your donation.

7.The Blood Center staff will keep you informed of your patient's progress. The names of the donor and the recipient are kept confidential. Donors and recipients may sign a special release to allow direct contact one year after transplant.

Make an appointment via this online form now to donate blood and be tested. Testing facilities include:

Stanford Blood Center
780 Welch Road, Suite 100
Palo Alto

Stanford Blood Center
515 South Drive, Suite 20
Mountain View

Lars Bio

Lars Larsen's Bio:

Currently I am a 39 year old man with a wife named Monica and two children, Savannah, age 5 and Sorina, age 2. I grew up in San Jose California and attended Silver Creek High School and then attended San Jose University in which I graduated with a degree in advertising. After a few years I decided to go back to school studying sciences with hope of working in the medical profession. In 1993 I moved to Ohio and attended the Ohio State University. In 1995 I was accepted to the Ohio State University Dental School in which I graduated in 2000.

I worked five years as a dentist and then was diagnosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma. After a rigorous 6 months of chemotherapy and radiation therapy I was determined to be in remission. In September I had fallen out of remission and the disease had transformed into leukemia. I love my job but more important to me is the time I spend with my family. Although the disease has taken a devastating toll on my body it has brought me extremely close to my core family and my extended family.

Currently I am being treated for leukemia with hopes that my body will go into remission again and I will find a suitable bone marrow transplant match. My will to live is strong as I realize I have so much to live for. I am relying on complete strangers for a suitable bone marrow donation and I am thankful for anyone who is willing to give some of themselves so that I may live.

I thank you in advance for giving part of yourself in hopes that me or some other individual in my situation may benefit. You are truly providing somebody with the possible gift of life.

Regards,
Lars

Welcome to Marrow Donor

Welcome to marrowdonor.blogspot.com! This is a blog that has been setup in support of our friend Lars Larsen, who was recently diagnosed with Leukemia. Lars is a 39 year-old, married father of two beautiful little girls, currently living in Columbus, Ohio.

Lars originally hails from San Jose, California, which is where we met him. We're trying to rally support for him on his quest for a suitable bone marrow transplant. This is where you can help Lars, and the myriad of others who suffer from this disease.

We'll use this as a forum to track Lars' battle and to post information on donating bone marrow. Please spread the word, by passing this on to anyone you know.

Help us, help Lars.

Thanks,
Mike & Sonya Lee

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