Ever since I was 3 years old, sports have played a major role in my life. As a toddler and pre-teen, I connected with gymnastics and competing in the U.S. Olympics was a dream of mine.
In time, my competitive nature was joined by my creative character and the marriage proved to be motivational. My gymnastic training had prepared me physically for the rendering of visual illustration and opened my eyes to a new sport. Subsequently, I fell in love with the art of dance, therein adopting a new passion.
Upon entering high school, I was drawn to track and field, and this too had become adoration. Within the past four years, I've juggled both sports and my athletic outlet was two-fold. During this time, I've competed in Colgate, placed fifth in the nation at National Scholastics (track meet) for two consecutive years, anchored my four-by-four team at Millrose (track meet for NYC High Schools) in Madison Square Gardens to win first place for two years, and qualified for a chance to run on the Youth World Olympic Team. Competing in Nationals the last couple of years gave me an unbelievable sense of accomplishment and allowed me focus on what the future could have in store.
Although I looked forward to the senior trips, prom, choreographing my senior piece and homecoming games, the high point of my senior year at Cardozo High School would have been the recruitment process. Universities across the state have traced my track record for the past four years and have been offered me a number of scholarships.
In September, my life changed forever. I was diagnosed with aplastic anemia. Before my diagnosis, I was training 20 hours a week both with a personal trainer and my team coach. Although the training was rigorous, I somehow was able to make time to be with my friends and live a normal teen life.
Within the past two months, everything is different. The 5 a.m. training days I once dreaded, I would now gladly welcome, knowing I have the strength to get through the exercises that were forthcoming; the soreness of a day of dancing and running would be a welcome change from agonizing side effects of the 15 medications I must endure on a daily basis; but the elation I would feel after receiving a transplant would supersede the joy I would ever get from coming in first after a track meet or receiving a standing ovation after a performance.
As an African-American, it is particularly hard for me to find a match. Only 8 percent of the 7 million registered donors are African-American, which means that only 17 percent of African-Americans in need of a transplant will receive one.
DKMS, the world's largest bone marrow donor center, is teaming up with my family and friends to host a bone marrow drive for me on Saturday, December 4, at the Majority Baptist Church (11521 Farmers Boulevard, Jamaica, N.Y.) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
All it takes to register is a cheek swab! If you can't make it to the donor drive, sign up for a DKMS registration kit online at GetSwabbed.org. If you are fortunate enough to be a match, you will need to stay committed and available. A DKMS representative will guide you through the entire donation process, which can be done in one of two ways. Both are outpatient procedures.
Each year, more than 140,000 people are diagnosed with a blood cancer. Less than 30 percent of patients can find a match in their own family; the other 70 percent must search for an unrelated donor. Sadly, only three out of 10 patients will receive the transplant that could save their lives.
My father has repeatedly told me that coming in second was just the first loser and I have every intention of coming out of this in first place because losing is not an option.
Aplastic anemia is also sometimes associated with exposure to toxins such as benzene, or with the use of certain drugs, including chloramphenicol, carbamazepine, felbamate, phenytoin, quinine, and phenylbutazone. Many drugs are associated with aplasia mainly according to case reports but at a very low probability. As an example, chloramphenicol treatment is followed by aplasia in less than 1 in 40,000 treatment courses, and carbamazepine aplasia is even more rare.
Exposure to ionizing radiation from radioactive materials or radiation-producing devices is also associated with the development of aplastic anemia.
Auto immune disorders are destroying the lives of healthy people every day. One discovery the changed my life and dramatically helped my immune system is a neuro peptide macrophage pre courser is Beta Glucan 1,3-1,6. Without it I know I would be dead. Google it and auto immune system and discover it's miracle benefits for the immune system. It causes the body to heal it's immune system to the degree it can based on the dan damage that has been done. For me exposure to toxic chemicals over a long period of time damaged my immune system but now live a healthy normal life. Everyone is different though.