Lone Star Circle of Life Bike Tour

Local Events: Salado

Day 6:

Thursday, October 8, 2009
Salado

The Lone Star Circle of Life team will leave Waco at 7:30 a.m. for Salado. They will arrive at Scott & White in Temple for lunch at 12:30, then leave at 1:30 for Salado.

The team will arrive at the Salado Civic Center approximately 3:30 p.m. A reception will be held for the riders where they will be introduced. At that time, each rider will introduce the honoree they rode for that day. Information about blood, tissue and organ donation will be available on-site as well as a drive for the National Marrow Donor Program Registry.

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

Event Coordinator

For more information, contact:

Debbie Mabry
Scott & White Marrow Donor Program
2401 S. 31st St.
Temple, TX 76508
Phone: 254-724-7000
marrowdonor@swmail.sw.org

Day Riders

Juan Caraveo - Dr. Caraveo, an oncologist and cancer survivor, is riding to support patients needing donations of blood, marrow an organs.

Individuals interested in being a day rider from Waco to Salado should contact the event coordinator listed above.

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.

Chris Baird Christopher Jacobs – Organ and Tissue Donor
Chris passed away in October, 2004, after an accident where he sustained a major head injury. He was able to donate his kidneys, liver, heart valves and eyes.

He has left behind an incredible legacy for his family and we are very proud of his life saving gifts!

I currently work to promote donation in his memory.
~ Nanette Baird, Chris’ Mom

Theresa Britt – Living kidney Donor
When Theresa Britt heard that her friend needed a kidney transplant, she volunteered to be tested. Ms. Britt was found to be a compatible donor for her friend. She underwent evaluation without hesitation. On July 24, of this year, Theresa donated a kidney to her friend.

Vicki Kieltyka – Living Kidney Donor
Vicki Kieltyka has experienced what every mother fears the most – a sick child. Her son, who was 32, was facing dialysis. He had a young family and Mrs. Kieltyka could not bear the thought of her grandson growing up without his dad.

On October 21, 2008, Vicki donated a kidney to her son. He has returned to work as a police officer and is enjoying his young son.

Donna Jones – Stem Cell Donor
Donna Jones was on the National Marrow Donor Program Registry for three years before getting the special call telling her she was a possible match for a young woman with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. Last March, it was determined that she was the very best match in the world for this searching patient. Donna agreed at once to give her stem cells to the woman to help her overcome her leukemia.

Christopher Ochoa – Living Kidney Donor
Christopher Ochoa’s son, 26, faced dialysis. Mr. Ochoa was determined to give his son a kidney. He traveled from Colorado to Temple for the medical evaluation and was deemed an acceptable candidate to donate. This August, Mr. Ochoa donated his kidney to his son.

Ryleigh Harvey – Blood Recipient
Ryleigh was born 15 ½ weeks early and weighed only 1 pound 11 ounces at birth.
She faced many challenges in her first few days of life including fighting sepsis and having surgery to close a heart valve. Over the course of her 88 day stay in the NICU at Scott & White Hospital, Ryleigh received 11 red cell transfusions and 1 platelet transfusion.

The transfusions she received were life-saving. Ryleigh would not be here today without the gift of blood donation from voluntary blood donors.

Today Ryleigh weighs over 12 pounds and is celebrating her 8th month birthday.

Lisa Mitchell – Kidney/Pancreas Transplant Recipient
Lisa Mitchell was diagnosed with diabetes as a child. She does not remember life without insulin. In 2007, Mrs. Mitchell was told she needed to start dialysis for kidney failure. She started evaluation for a combined kidney/pancreas transplant. She received her transplant in April, 2008.

Since transplant, Lisa has been an active advocate of donation. She has participated in national Donor Day, arranged for donor awareness activities in Woodway and talks to other about donation. Mrs. Mitchell still finds time to volunteer at camps for children with diabetes.

Carolyn Whiteaker – Living Kidney Donor
Carolyn Whiteaker had been married to her husband for 48 years when they were told he had kidney failure. During her husband’s transplant evaluation, she voiced the desire to donate a kidney to him. Ms.
Whiteaker was deemed a compatible donor and on September 9, 2008, she donated a kidney to her love of her life.
\Now, a year after donation, Mr. and Mrs. Whiteaker are both doing very well.

Tatum Crowell - Blood Recipient
On August 31 of 2008, Tatum was diagnosed with grade 4 Hepatoblastoma - liver cancer and it had spread to his heart chambers. He started chemotherapy that day and received five more rounds throughout the next four months. In January, he got a liver tranplant after waiting just ten days. He then received three more rounds of chemotherapy and was put into remission this past June.

Tatum has had a hard journey. He has had over 60 blood transfusions, 50 platelet transfusions, 79 hospital days, four liver rejections, a collapsed lung and the chemotherapy took his hearing.

On the day of his transplant, the plane carrying his liver from the donor to him broke down and the surgeon said by the time the liver got to him, it could be too old to be useful. They put the liver in anyway and it worked beautifully.

Tatum is a fighter and doesn't let anything get him down.

Sam Kanouse - Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Recipient
Sam Kanouse is not just a great husband, father and role model, he is an active a caring member of his community. He devotes much of his time to various civic, industrial and military oriented organizations that promote caring and giving to the under-privileged and the needy. Sam served his country in the U.S. Army for 25 years. During his military career, he touched many people’s lives through his sterling and caring leadership as a noncommissioned officer.

In June of 2008, Sam was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, which was a shock to him and all those around him. He underwent chemotherapy and became cancer-free for a few months. The disease returned, however, with a vengeance. He needed a marrow transplant.

Quickly, Sam’s family and friends formed ”Team Sam” to organize registration drives throughout central Texas to try to find a match for Sam. Sam’s daughter, Domonique Basler, worked tirelessly to find a match for her father.

Being of Korean descent, Sam’s best chance was to find a donor from the Korean community. Although many hundreds of Koreans were added to the registry, there was not a match for Sam.

It was decided that the best donor for Sam would be his daughter, Domonique Basler. Several weeks later, Domonique donated her marrow to her father to save his life.

Salado High School
Salado High School has been hosting annual Scott & White blood drives for seven years. These events are sponsored by the school's National Honor Society, coordinated by Susan Shobe.

The students and faculty at this school have a real sense of giving and know that donating blood truly helps to save lives of people in their community. We sincerely appreciate the on-going partnership with Prinicipal Kay Matthews and the Salado Independent School District and look forward to many blood drives with them in the future.

Additional honorees for the local events will be announced soon. Please visit again.