Earn money by participating in a research study!
Are you a bone marrow or stem cell transplant survivor or spouse of someone who has undergone a stem cell transplant?
Take part in an important study examining the impact of bone marrow transplant on thinking, memory and attention!
The Behavioral Medicine Research Team at Eastern Michigan University is conducting a study on methods of evaluating how adult bone marrow or stem cell transplantation may affect memory, attention and thinking processes.
We encourage recent survivors of stem cell transplant survivors (within the last three years) and their domestic partners to sign up for participation!
Study participants will be asked to complete a series of brief questionnaires as well as memory and attention tasks on the computer and with a study administrator.
Participation will take approximately 1 hour to complete and each participant will be paid $25 for their time.
The results of this study may benefit other transplant survivors through informing future investigations of cognitive functioning and rehabilitation programs.
To find out more about the study or sign up to participate, please contact the principle investigator, Bethany Gourley at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 734-487-4987.
This study has been approved by the Eastern Michigan University Human Subjects Review Committee. HSRC Approval # 110805.
The 2011 Michigan Marrow 5K Walk & Fun Run was a success!
There was an exciting turn out of participants and supporters for our Inaugural Walk and approximately $8,000 was raised! We could not have accomplished this without you!
On behalf of Be The Match and My Friends Care Cancer Fund, we wish to extend a heart-felt thank-you for your commitment to helping save the lives of cancer patients in need of bone marrow transplants across Michigan. The money raised will help cover the cost of adding new potential donors to the Be The Match Registry, increasing the chances of saving more lives. These funds will also allow My Friends Care Cancer Fund to assist more cancer patients facing financial hardships, with fundraising assistance, to receive life-saving treatments and other much-needed support and to help us add more potential bone marrow donors to the Be The Match Registry.
Thank you to our generous sponsors, donors and volunteers!
- Gage Bilt Riveting Solutions, Clinton Twp.
- Henry Ford Transplant Institute, Detroit
- Evo Accounting Services, Detroit
- Best Buy, Utica
- Joanne Godfrey
- Taylor Kanas
- Michael & Lanae Kettlewell
- Mac-Mold Base, Inc., Romeo
- Helen Phillips, Winner of Season 7, Biggest Loser
- Gary Wurmlinger, Emcee/DJ
- Tosha Owens, Singer – National Anthem
- C.C. Plus – Dance-Fun-Fitness, Zumba Warm-up, Clinton Twp.
- Nancy Wills, Photographer
- Mary Loveless, Honored Volunteer
- Chantay Leonard, Honored Volunteer
- Main Street Printing, Shelby
- Signarama, Clinton Township
- Embroid Me, Farmington Hills
- Vince & Joe’s, Shelby Twp.
- Photo Memories by Nancy, St. Clair
- Med Star Ambulance, Clinton Twp.
- Timberwood Golf Club, Ray
- Weingartz, Utica
- Ray Wiegands, Macomb
- Buffalo Wild Wings, Shelby Twp.
- Starbucks Coffee, Shelby Twp.
- Better Made Chips, Detroit
- Red Cross of Southeastern Region Michigan Blood Services, Detroit
A great big thank you to all our participants, volunteers, supporters, Be The Match and My Friends Care Cancer Fund staff. The walk/run was a great success because of everyone’s efforts and we look forward to doing it again in 2012!
As we move forward with our life saving work, please know that partnerships with sponsors like you are vital to the growth and success of our organizations. You are truly appreciated, and we look forward to partnering with you again to make the next Michigan Marrow Walk an even more incredible event.
Again, thank you for your generosity and we hope to see you in 2012.
| Tarita Gibson Senior Account Executive Be The Match |
Debra Wurmlinger Executive Director My Friends Care Cancer Fund |
Mary Capek Charrette’s loved ones are asking for your support.
Our sister, mother, daughter, and aunt, Mary Capek Charrette was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2007 and her doctors treated it aggressively with chemotherapy and thought they had caught it. However, in April 2009 we found out it had spread to her liver and a few spots on her lungs. She had the colon cancer removed and underwent further treatment with chemo, to completely fight it in the colon and the remaining liver and lung spots. After a year, she had a clean colonoscopy and seemed to be keeping things basically under control; however, the chemo has been really hard on her body and system – she’s had some pretty major side-effects and problems physically requiring additional surgeries. Last Christmas (2010), her doctors wanted her to undergo a 6 month cycle (versus the 3 month cycles she'd been experiencing – treatment 3 days a week every other week for 12 weeks) and she opted at that point to pursue alternative treatments. As of her last check in the past few months things seem to be heading in a positive direction on her liver, however, her lung spots seem to be spreading (or growing) just a bit. Again, the chemo option hasn't seemed to help her as much as others (without hurting her just as much), so she is seeking alternative treatment. Unfortunately, this new alternative treatment plan, and many of the supplements prescribed for her are not covered by insurance.
Mary and Michael are parents of five and proud grandparents of two beautiful grandbabies. Mary has not been able to work since 2009, and Michael has had to miss much work in 
order to be with Mary and try to fight this battle with her. They have been involved and helped many organizations over their lives together (Lions, Twins Association, Kiwanis, and others) and we’re hoping some of that goodwill will come back their way.
We have partnered with My Friends Care Cancer Fund, a 501-(c)3 non-profit organization that assists cancer patients in raising funds for medical expenses. We are turning to our friends and family to assist us in helping Mary and Michael, as they have helped so many before.
Please join us by sending donations by check made out to My Friends Care, noting in the memo: In Honor of Mary Capek Charrette and mailing to:
My Friends Care
c/o Carol Capek, Coordinator
9288 Towering Oaks Drive
Comstock Park, MI 49321
Or you can donate online via PayPal by visiting www.myfriendscare.org and click on the donate button, which will bring you to the PayPal screen – indicate “in honor of Mary Capek Charrette” in the ‘Purpose’ box. If you have any questions, please contact our coordinator, at the above address, or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Taylor Kanas
On October 15, 2010, Taylor Kanas received news she had a very rare and aggressive form of non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, called ALK Negative Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma.
Taylor successfully completed the standard regimen of chemotherapy and planned to receive a bone marrow transplant using her own harvested cells. Then she found out the discouraging news that she had relapsed. Her doctors ordered additional, extremely intensive, chemotherapy, hoping to put the disease in remission and to have the highest success rate with the transplant. At that point, Taylor was not able to use her own bone marrow cells for the transplant, so doctors began the search for a matching donor.
Taylor’s family and friends helped by holding a fun event with a variety of bands for entertainment, a bone marrow drive and fundraising benefit, called “Rockin For a Match” on March 26, 2011. The event was a huge success and added 220 people to the National Marrow Donor Program Registry!
Later, Taylor received more bad news that the chemo did not work; so the only other option was to begin a clinical trial. The doctors were not able to find a match for Taylor, but decided to use two different cord blood stem cells for her transplant, after the disease is in remission. Taylor recently received the best news yet! The clinical trial was a complete success, removing all traces of cancer and she will be receiving her transplant very soon!
Even while fighting for her life, Taylor’s desire is to help create awareness of the need for bone marrow transplant donors and to help raise funds for “Be The Match” and “My Friends Care Cancer Fund.” She is supporting the Inaugural Michigan Marrow 5K Walk & Fun Run by starting her own team, called “Team Taylor.” She is assisting the committee as a spokesperson, to tell her story, to tell about the need for bone marrow donors and the need to raise funds, to help cover the cost of adding potential donors to the national registry. Taylor will be letting people know how they can become involved and she wants to help in other ways, as her health allows, during her month long stay in the hospital. Her desire to help others during this difficult journey is a testament to Taylor. She is truly an inspiration to all of us!
Annually, 10,000 people like Taylor are in need of a life-saving transplant. Your support helps cover the cost of adding new potential donors to “Be The Match Registry”, increasing the chances of saving more lives. Funds raised allow My Friends Care Cancer Fund to increase bone marrow donor registration and to assist cancer patients that are experiencing financial hardships.
How you can help:
Attend a community bone marrow drive; get tested to become a potential donor
Participate in the Michigan Marrow 5K Walk & Fun Run! Register to walk or run
Form a team
Become a sponsor
Make a donation
Volunteer
For more information, please contact: Be The Match at 800.471.4627 or email us at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Register on our website: www.michiganmarrowwalk.com
Beth Tyler
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not. —Dr. Seuss
On December 1, 2010, Beth Tyler, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma (bone marrow cancer). Since then she has undergone twelve weeks of chemotherapy treatments. With the prayers and support of so many, she has made it this far in her journey and now she needs your help to make it the rest of the way. The next step of her journey will be to receive a stem-cell transplant at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor.
Beth is a wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend. Her expenses have continued to mount from months of past treatments and will continue to mount due to the upcoming transplant and the many related expenses, such as travel and lodging while away from home and long follow up care. To help with the mounting expenses, Beth’s family and friends have joined forces with My Friends Care Cancer Fund, a nonprofit organization that helps families and friends of cancer patients raise money to cover medical and medically related expenses.
To make a tax-deductible donation* to My Friends Care on Beth’s behalf, please make checks payable to My Friends Care. (Be sure to write “In honor of Bethany Tyler” on the memo line of the check.)Mail checks to: My Friends Care, PO Box 43, Hersey, MI 49639
Donations may also be made via PayPal by visiting www.myfriendscare.org and clicking on “Donate.” (Be sure to put “In honor of Bethany Tyler” in the Purpose field of the donation page.)
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Beth’s daughter Cindy at 231-832-2310 or email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
We can’t thank you enough for caring “a whole awful lot.”
The Friends and Family of Beth Tyler
*Donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.
