Bone Marrow Transplant – Become a donor

Prior to becoming a photographer, I was a Child Life Specialist at Schneider Children’s Hospital, now Cohen Children’s Hospital and worked in the Hematology/Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation Units.

The beautiful little girl below was one of my patients when I worked there. I just learned that she recently had a Bone Marrow Transplant that has cured her from Sickle Cell Anemia.

Did you read that?!?! CURED her!!!

The transplant was from an UNRELATED DONOR…… Proving the importance as to why more ethnic races, mix of ethnicity, etc NEED to register on the Bone Marrow Registry for donation.

Miss Hunter recently had a Bone Marrow Transplant at the age of 14 that has cured her of Sickle Cell Anemia.

Check out her story with this video here: HUNTER

The NATIONAL BONE MARROW DONOR PROGRAM website is filled with resources and information on how to become a Bone Marrow Donor

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2010 St. Baldricks Venue Thank You Plaque!

It’s a little bit strange to know that an image of you bald has been printed about 500 times and will be seen worldwild.

Totally cool! But yes, a little bit strange.

Each 2010 St. Baldricks shaving venue throughout the world gets one with their name on it.

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St. Baldricks @ Albuquerque, NM 4/25/09

I had the absolute honor and pleasure of being asked to go to Albuquerque, NM for the day to photograph for St. Baldricks.

The beginning of the day started with photographing a beautiful little 6 year old girl that was diagnosed at the age of 8 months with a brain tumor. We spent about an hour and half at the Albuquerque Botanic Gardens photographing her with her family.  She is currently learning to balance and take small steps in walking with assistance outside of her wheelchair.

The Albuquerque St. Baldricks event was held at the UNM Children’s Hospital. Approximately 150 shavees were there from a Child Life Specialist, to mothers, to grandfathers, Storm Troopers and kids. Each with their own story as to why they are involved in St. Baldricks and who they are shaving for. You can’t help but be brought to tears with their stories. Miss New Mexico and Miss New Mexico Teen both made an appearance (did not shave) which delighted the young girls.

What I liked about this event was during the first round of shaving, kids from the Pediatric Oncology Unit at the Children’s Hospital came out to do some of the shaving. The delight in their eyes was priceless!

I was drawn to capture the featured young lady with very long hair shaving her head. She was shaving her head for the kids but most importantly in memory of her baby sister that died of SIDS. Her hair was donated to Locks Of Love.

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Meet Mighty Mason

Last year after shaving my head for St. Baldricks, I had the honor and pleasure of meeting and photographing the 2009 St. Baldricks child ambassador, Mason Bernard. He is an incredible little boy with a great big handsome smile!

Today, I found the poster in a coffee shop that I had a meeting at. No idea the image was being used in print marketing. Later learned that the images that we captured together were used on all the 2009 marketing materials from flyers, to brochures, to pamphlets to their 2007-2008 annual report nationally and internationally. There were over 500 shaving events throughout the world.

Check him out on St. Baldricks 2009 poster and annual report for 2007-2008.

Follow him on his blog: http://mightymason.wordpress.com/

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