Lone Star Circle of Life Bike Tour

Local Events: Huntsville

Day 3

Monday, October 25
Palestine to Huntsville

The Lone Star Circle of Life team will ride from Palestine to Huntsville, arriving at approximately 3:30. Please check back for additional information on the local event.

Event Coordinator

For more information, contact:

Anne Marie Cervenka
Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center
1400 La Concha Lane
Houston, TX 77054
Phone: 713-791-6697

Day Riders

For information about being a day rider, please contact the local event coordinator listed above.

Honorees

Julian Guzman - Liver and Kidney Transplant Recipient
Sara Guzman - Living Kidney Donor
Julian, a carpenter since he was a teenager, became sick in 2005 and went to the emergency room and was told he had liver failure. He was admitted to the hospital and was in a coma for two days, not expected to recover. The doctors informed family to make necessary arrangements. The very next day, Julian woke up to be surrounded by family and friends and wanted to know why everyone was there, like nothing had happened. He did not remember anything.
Julian was transferred to Methodist Hospital for evaluation for a liver transplant. He completed his evaluation, was accepted and listed. Julian continued to work when he could. After being on the waiting list for 15 months, he received a call at on February 19, 2007 from his coordinator telling him that they found him a liver and it was a "perfect match". He was to be at the hospital within an hour and had his liver transplant the next morning. Julian heard from his donor family about two years after his liver transplant and hopes to meet them one day soon,

Julian did well until December 2009 when he was diagnosed with kidney failure. He started dialysis, evaluated and accepted for a kidney transplant and was put on the waiting list, Julian’s wife, Sara, was evaluated and was a match. She was accepted to donate a kidney to Julian and did so on July 27, 2010.

As a result of all the many blessings in their lives, Sara is a proud volunteer for Life Gift, The American Liver Foundation and a Commit For Life Blood Donor and promotes Organ Donation each and every day. She says, “As you can see we have seen many aspects of organ donation and count our many blessings every day.

Myra Elizabeth Mendoza – Blood Recipient
Myra E. Mendoza was born August 6, 1991 at 27 weeks gestation. Myra weighed only 1 lb. 4 oz and was hospitalized for the first four months of her life.

While in the hospital, Myra received many blood transfusions. Myra was released from Hermann Memorial Hospital in December of 1991, after four months.

Myra is now a 19 year old beautiful young lady. Myra’s future will be bright and beautiful. Myra plans to study criminal justice and receive her credentials to become a juvenile counselor/officer.

Irma Arredondo – Blood Donor
I, Irma Arredondo, have made a commitment to save lives by donating blood. I’ve “Committed for Life” and as long as I am healthy I donate blood so another human being can live! I will forever be grateful to God and to the unknown donors who gave the gift of life to my daughter, Myra.

Thank you for allowing us to participate in the Lone Star Circle of Life.

Hope Crandell – Organ Recipient
“My life began anew on October 18, 2008, when I received the gift of life through a liver transplant. My story began a few months earlier after I was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. I was told that my liver was not functioning well due to many years of drinking. I was being treated for cirrhosis and everything seemed to be going okay until late September when I came down with a virus that started to attach my organs. I was admitted to Methodist Hospital, where I stayed for the next three and a half months. After approximately three weeks in a coma, I was given my special gift of life. I was one of the very fortunate ones, as I was only listed for only one week before I was transplanted.

Presently, I am doing great! I love being alive and I am forever thankful to my donor for giving me a second chance to live. I’m also thankful for my doctors and nurses for believing in me and providing me with excellent care. Most importantly, I am thankful to my family and friends for loving me unconditionally through it all.

This experience has made me feel led to spread the word about donation. If everyone would become an organ, tissue or blood donor, think of all of the people who would get their second chance at life like I did. It would be a wonderful thing!

Donald Kendrick – Transplant Recipient
Donald Kendrick of Trinity Texas was diagnosed with congestive heart failure in 1996. His condition was managed to a degree with medications, but his damaged heart could only pump 17% capacity and arrhythmias developed. The only option to save his life was a heart transplant.

In February 2008, Kendrick received the ultimate gift – a second chance at life thanks to a heart transplant at the Methodist Transplant Center.

Since his transplant, Kendrick has become an advocate for organ and tissue donation awareness. He is an active participant in LifeGift’s Vital Volunteer program, Methodist’s Transplant Friends and the helping Hearts Support Group. He is grateful to his donors and his caregiver for giving him his second chance!

Kevin Niemeyer – Blood Donor
I donate blood because we Christians are called to serve those around us and to show the love of Christ to this world. Jesus laid down His life so that those who call upon His name could have eternal life and freedom from sin (John 6:40)

So, in a smaller way, through donating blood, I can give myself so that other may live. Donating blood is simply a way to demonstrate Christ’s love for us in that He gave His blood as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

Jeff Headly – Transplant Recipient
Angela Headly – Stem Cell Donor
In October 2005, Jeff Headley, a Houston Police Officer, was working 20 hour days seven days a week as he was dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He lost 40 pounds that month and figured it was the hard work he was doing. Then things returned to normal and he began to notice that the nose bleeds were becoming more frequent. He was continuing to lose weight and finally the fatigue and a fever set in. In November 2005, at 31 years old, he was in his Physician’s office when he heard the unexpected news. He was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogeneous Leukemia. Jeff had a beautiful wife and three kids who were five years old, two and five months old. He remembers praying for their welfare as he sat in the hospital that first night.

A few months after Jeff was diagnosed with CML, Angie’s best friend, Victoria was diagnosed with Acute Myelogeneous Leukemia, a much more progressive form of the cancer. Jeff initially had a great response to the gene therapy that was available for CML patients. In fact this gene therapy worked for a couple of years. Unfortunately, Victoria’s AML did not have the same treatment available. She was in need of a Stem Cell Transplant and none of her blood relatives were a close enough match. Through the NMDP she was able to find an 8 of 10 match, but this is a very risky transplant.
During that time, Jeff became aware because of Victoria’s situation, of the need for more donors. Jeff became involved in a campaign called Driving for Donors where a young leukemia patient, whose father was a Miami Police Officer, was driving around the nation to collect donors for the NMDP. Jeff assisted with the effort in Houston by enlisting many Houston Police Officers to help and the drive netted over 1,300 donors in Houston.

It was in the middle of this drive that the side effects of Jeff’s treatment began to take a toll. The doctors at MD Anderson recommended a Bone Marrow Transplant and were very clear about the risks involved. Jeff’s only sibling had already voluntarily been registered in the NMDP database so it did not take long to find out that he was not a close enough match. That is when the NMDP searched its database and fortunately found an exact match. In March of 2008 Jeff began the process of a Marrow Transplant from an unrelated and anonymous donor. This was occurring just as Victoria was finishing a second Stem Cell Transplant because her Leukemia had returned.
Jeff’s transplant initially took and then failed. Jeff was looking to receive another transplant but doctors were waiting for his strength to build so that his chances of survival would increase. The NMDP representatives had already contacted his previous donor, who graciously volunteered to donate again, just two months after the initial donation. The levels of CML were growing inside Jeff but suddenly, just as they were arranging for the second transplant, a miracle occurred and the leukemia began to dissipate. Jeff did not receive any additional chemotherapy or treatment after the first transplant and still has not to this day.

Jeff and Angela’s friend, Victoria, never did receive a better Bone Marrow Match through the registry. This highlights the need to continue to gain more donors. In August of 2009, Victoria succumbed to AML at only 41 years of age leaving behind three young children.

In March of 2010 the doctors finally called Jeff’s Leukemia as in remission. A few months later, Angela received a phone call from the NMDP. Angela had registered as a donor during the drive that Jeff was involved in a few years earlier. Angela had been through the fight of Leukemia and through holding the hands of Transplant patients on three occasions now. Just the thought of being able to help someone by giving her stem cells or bone marrow brought her to tears of excitement. She eagerly awaited word of whether she was a close enough match to donate for this patient that she knew nothing about. Remarkably, she was a match and was fortunately able to donate stem cells for a patient this year.

Jeff, Angela and their four children were able to drive to Pennsylvania this year to meet Jeff’s hero, Tim Manning. Tim was Jeff’s Marrow Donor. Jeff had the opportunity to thank Tim in person for the unbelievable sacrifice he made for a man that he didn’t even know. They talk on a weekly basis now and Jeff describes Tim as his long lost twin and a great friend.

If you would like to nominate a special individual or group to be honored, please contact the local event coordinator listed above.

Local Sponsors

For information on becoming a local sponsor, contact the local event coordinator.

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