Lone Star Circle of Life Bike Tour

Local Events: Dallas/Fort Worth

Day 4:

Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Tyler to Dallas/Ft. Worth

The Lone Star Circle of Life team will leave Tyler at 7:30 a.m. for Dallas/Fort Worth. The team will make a stop at Boone Elementary in Allen to make a special presentation in memory of Spencer Squire, the 2008 Lone Star Circle of Life Honoree. They will then continue to the Allen Mall, arriving there at 3:00. The event will be held at the Food Court, where the riders will be introduced and they will share why they are riding in the Lone Star Circle of Life Bike tour. The riders will then introduce the local honorees they rode for that day.

Families and supporters are invited and encouraged to join the Lone Star team for an evening of comedy at Ralph and Kacoo's, 401 Central Expressway in Allen at 7:00. Tickets are $12 and include dinner, a drink and tip. The comedy will be supplied by two area comedians. Tickets will be available at the door that evening.

For additional information, contact one of the local event coordinators below.

Event Coordinators

For more information, contact:

Jennifer Saenz
Baylor University Medical Center
3409 Worth St.
Dallas, TX 75246
Phone: 214-820-4279

Jamie Kayser
Cook Children's Medical Center
801 Seventh Ave.
Fort Worth, TX 76104
682-885-7565

Eva Trevino
Carter BloodCare
9000 Harry Hines Blvd. #227
Dallas, TX 76535
Phone: 800-DONATE4

Day Riders

Amber Tune - "I would ride my bike to the ends of the earth if it meant my good friend, Doug Campbell, would have a cure. This is truly an honor to ride for him. I recently completed an Ironman in Doug's honor. I hope to be able to promote awareness and find Doug, and so many others, their life saving match.

For information on being a day rider, contact one of the local event coordinators.

Honorees

Brian Brasseaux – Organ and Tissue Donor
Brian Brasseaux was a loving husband, father, brother and friend. Married to his high-school sweetheart, Christine, for 17 years, they shared a love that a lot of people never have the opportunity to experience. Unfortunately, their life together ended abruptly on November 4, 2007.

Brian and Christine met while still in high school and married several years later. They settled down in Sugar Land, Texas and had four wonderful children, Trey, James, Erin and Kelly. Their four-bedroom house was busting at the seams. Brian was a very caring, loyal person who loved life and lived it to the fullest. He believed in helping the underdog and giving people a chance. He was a gifted athlete who excelled in all sports and even had the New York Mets look at him for baseball. There was a history of heart disease in Brian’s family. Christine and Brian recognized the family history and would discuss it and pay particular attention to diet and exercise.

On November 4, 2007, Brian went out for a bike ride. It was time for dinner and Christine has sent their oldest son, Trey, to call Brian in. Trey found his father lying on the ground at the front door and came to tell Christine something was wrong. Christine started CPR, but Brian did not make it.

The Brasseaux family was devastated. They had lost their fabulous father and Christine had lost the love of her life. Christine knew immediately that Brian would want to give his organs to anyone who might need them. That decision was easy. Christine was asked to donate his eyes, his skin and even his heart. In true Aggie spirit, the last thing they asked Christine for was Brian’s thumb. Christine’s response was “of course you can have the Aggie thumb!” The Brasseaux’s are blessed to have each other and are thankful that Brian was in their life for as long as he was. Christine knows her life is better for having known him and loved him. Her focus is now on their children and raising them to be as caring, loving, loyal and decent as their father was.

Sahar Meghani – Donor Advocate
Sahar is being honored for the work she has done to create awareness in the South Asian community for the need for marrow and stem cell donors – especially the need for minorities to join the Be The Match Registry.

She and her dedicated team have added over 1,500 donors to the registry.

Thank you, Sahar!

Doug Campbell – Searching for a Marrow Match
Douglas M. Campbell, Ph.D., age 46, began his blood cancer battle over nine years ago when he was first diagnosed with a stage four incurable follicular lymphoma.

Doug is a loving husband, adored father by his three daughters, ages 13, 11 and 7, and well respected member of his community. He has not let his diagnosis keep him down and works with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as a member of their Team In Training program to walk, bike, run and /or swim to raise funds for cancer research and patient assistance by competing in marathons. He is also North Texas team’s honored hero and past mentor for the mountain bike team.
Each year his entire family also organizes a friends and family team called Walkers for Hope in the Society’s Light the Night Walk in the North Texas area. Collectively, the family has raised thousands for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and is still going strong – relentless for a cure! The ripple effect from this family has been enormous with others picking up their cause to raise funds and awareness, noting Doug as their inspiration.

Two years ago, doctors told Doug his only real chance or survival would be to have a stem cell transplant. Unfortunately, Doug is a tough match and no one has yet been found to offer him this life-saving option. His wife, Stacey, did not take that as the final word either, and has championed many registration drives and tried to educate those around her as to the importance and ease of marrow registration and donation. Her dream is to one day find that match to save her husband while also helping others with the same need.

Doug and his family are honored to offer his story as a way to place a face to the need for marrow, blood and other organ donors in our community and beyond by participating in this amazing awareness event. Organ donation is a gift that goes beyond our ability to convey adequate words to say thanks. Here, one person can make a huge difference in someone’s life.

Elizabeth McKinney – Donor Advocate
Liz isn’t your typical mom. Words that describe Liz would be: “go-getter, fiery, trust worthy” – and that is all before lunch.

When a former co-worker and good friend was diagnosed with leukemia, Liz decided to do more than just send a card and make a meal – she decided to take an active role in saving his life.

Liz immediately contacted Baylor University Medical Center and found out what her role in the Be The Match Registry would be. She realized that finding her friend a donor was important, but just as important was educating the community about the need for stem cell donors, funding for tissue typing, and cord blood donations. Liz used the Life Journeys website on www.bethematch.org and used Face Book, and various other social media to get the message out – raising a little more than $33,000 for typing. She then recruited more than 600 donors in less than a month.

Realizing that her friend would potentially receive a cord blood transplant because no living donor could be found, she worked to increase the awareness of donating cord blood. In a world bursting with information, Liz has the unique ability to educate her community about a critical need, but keep the message very personal. For that, we would like to honor Elizabeth McKinney for her outstanding work.

Kristin Webb – Transplant Recipient
Kristin Webb is a smile maker. You can’t help but smile when you see her – beautiful face, bright personality, winning attitude, and much more.

When doctors told Kristin that she had Hodgkins Lymphoma and needed a bone marrow transplant, she smiled and said “I can beat this!” When she found out that she could use her own stem cells for the procedure, she smiled and said, “I can help myself, but I want to help others as well.”

When she heard that African Americans were critically needed for the Be The Match Registry, she smiled and said “let’s get to work.” One month later, Kristin had registered 186 African Americans in the Be The Match Registry through her church at Westside Baptist Church in Lewisville, TX and was on her way to MD Anderson for own stem cell transplant ….smiling most of the way.

Kristin will be the first to admit that the road to recovery isn’t always easy, but it is easier when you share the experience with others.

And with that – with a smile on OUR faces, we would like to honor Kristin for her tremendous journey and the life-saving path she has taken.

Julie Fry – Transplant Recipient
When Julie was diagnosed with CML in 1998, she wanted to see her children grow up and spend a little more time with her loving husband Matt. Oh, but she got so much more! She got to see her precious granddaughter Abigail born. She spent time with her best friend Melinda, and laugh and love. And when Melinda’s daughter, Anna, was chosen to give her stem cells in February of 2008, Julie came by and sat with them. She told Anna what a wonderful gift she was giving some family.

And now the circle is complete. In May 2009, Julie was again told she had a life-threatening blood disease called myelodysplastic syndrome and needed a matched stem cell donor to save her life. During the time that Baylor took to find a perfect donor, Julie worked with the donor center at Baylor to recruit more donors. The Fry family was a delight to work with, and their joyous spirit was infectious…especially from Julie and her 80-year-old mother Jane.

Early this September, Julie did receive her stem cell transplant from a loving stranger. She is staying at Baylor, waiting to get stronger (if that is possible!) to continue to play with her granddaughter, go on dates with her husband, laugh with her best friend, and hopefully meet her life-giving donor in one year! Julie is an inspiration to us all

Spencer Squire – Organ and Tissue Donor
Life is a Circle. Although Spencer Squire’s Circle was small, it was complete, whole and fulfilled.

Spencer loved all things Aggie—a kid who was so excited to meet, get autographs, and take pictures with Aggie greats. Unfortunately, last August, Spencer collapsed from the rupture of a malignant, stage 4 brain tumor which had no symptoms. Never feeling sick, he spent his last month touring England, attending swimming lessons, running drills at football camp, and shooting hoops with his neighbors. Playing with his younger brother Ryan and spending time with his teammates and friends reflected Spencer’s enduring and giving spirit. And it was this same spirit that encouraged his family to donate Spencer’s organs.

Spencer had supported his friends and teammates and now he could offer a teammate his greatest gift – LIFE! God held his draft….Spencer was picked first round, God’s team, and now, it was time to recruit a few good players. Spencer picked Jana Cox, and she received his liver. Spencer needed a few more teammates for Jana, and luckily, his heart valves have saved four more lives. Spencer’s team was complete. Spencer’s circle continues…in the construction of a playground at his Boon Elementary School in Allen, in a scholarship in the Department of Education at A&M, and in the Texas A&M Baseball facility improvements at Olsen Field. Spencer Squire was also the title honoree in the Lone Star Circle of Life Bicycle Tour in 2008.

Spencer's legacy will continue as he has been selected to have his picture on one of forty floragraphs decorating the Organ Donation Float at the 2010 Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena. His picture will be made out of roses and displayed on the float, in tribute to those who have given the Gift of Life. Look for his floragraph at the Parade where "everything is coming up roses".

Dennis Jenkins – Marrow Donor Advocate
When Dennis Jenkins rides his bike, he rides it not only for his health, but for the health of thousands of patients struggling with blood diseases.

Dennis heard about the Campbell family and father Doug’s struggle with Lymphoma, while riding in a cyclist club in Lewisville. Wanting to help, he became active in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

But that wasn’t enough! From May 24th until June 6th, Dennis (left in photo) and his brother rode from Austin, Texas to Calgary, Canada raising awareness about the need for stem cell donors and a cure for leukemia & lymphoma. To kick-off the event, the brothers hosted a marrow registration drive at his business ABC Pest Control and recruited 136 "Be The Match" members and donated over $2450 to the cause.

And speaking of health, Dennis caught the support and love from many people during this two-week journey, but he also caught pneumonia as well – and had to ride into a hospital for treatment during one stop. We salute Dennis Jenkins and his untiring work to provide financial assistance for a cure for leukemia and lymphoma.

Josh Luce - Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Donor
Josh Luce, donated peripheral blood stem cells to two different people - once in 2005 and again 2008.

Family Khan
“Our son, Abrahaeem Khan (“T-Rex”) was diagnosed with T-Cell acute lymphocytic leukemia. He relapsed within a year.

As a family, we helped sign up new people to become marrow donors, since we were in search of one for our son at the time. Abraheem was only five years old.

Our son received a stem cell transplant in October of last year. Since then, we have been helping sign up new people to become marrow donors.

Abraheem also comes out with us to educate more of the people including Hispanics and Asians to register too.

Jodi Rosen - Donor and Marrow Donation Advocate
Jodi Rosen, Family member with cancer strong advocate & supporter of the NMDP also donated in 2008

Lee Teasdale - Blood Donor
Lee Teasdale, a 30-gallon blood donor, is the sweetest guy you'll very meet. He donates at the Carter BloodCare facility in Allen.

Paolo Cavalli – Leukemia Survivor
I feel fortunate...
I am a leukemia survivor of nine months after a double cord blood transplant.

When I was diagnosed, we couldn't find a match in a registry of over seven million at that time. Luckily for me, we were able to find several cord blood units that matched (4 out of 6) and (5 out of 6).
My reasons for being here is to raise awareness about cord blood transplants. Every year, so many cords aren't saved, when with a little effort they can be made available to people in need, like me.

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