Lone Star Circle of Life Bike Tour

Local Events: Tyler

Day 3:

Monday, October 5, 2009
Crockett to Tyler

On Monday morning, October 5, the team will ride to the main square in Crockett to radio station KIVY, 102 South Fifth Street where they will talk with Joanne Warner about the mission of the Lone Star Circle of Life Bike Tour. The community is invited to come to the square that morning and meet the team and sign a special t-shirt that will be presented to the family of our Title Honoree. The team will then head to Tyler.

The team will arrive in Tyler at approximately 3:00 p.m., and proceed to the Broadway Square Mall. 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.

Event Coordinator

Janie Malone
Carter Bloodcare
815 S. Baxter St.
Tyler, TX 75701
Phone: 903-535-5409

Day Riders

Michael Burgamy - "My daughter Emma died from a blood infection and was also on the donor list to receive a liver. She had a rare syndrome called Alagille Syndrome. I would like to ride as a memorial to her and to raise awareness in general."

Michael Lewis - "My 20 year-old daughter became an organ donor on March 3, 2008 and I want to raise awareness and honor her."

For information about being a day rider, please contact the local 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.

Michael Wayne Gonzales – Blood Donor
The man being honored, aside from being a wonderful husband and dad, believed in helping others. He always said through our 23 years of marriage that he wanted to be an organ donor. He always said when he died, he wouldn’t need them anymore, but perhaps someone could and have that second chance at least one more day to enjoy their families and life.

He donated blood faithfully at blood drives and always encouraged others to give blood when the blood drives came through. Our middle daughter, Chelsea, followed his lead and started donating blood starting at the age of 17 when the blood bus showed up at the high school.

When Michael’s dad was at M.D. Anderson in Houston, he donated there as often as he could to help his dad and others who were struggling with cancer. He gave knowing that he would never know who he had helped, only knowing it would give someone a chance.

On November 6, 2008, he gave for his last time.

Lauren Lewis – Organ Donor
"Our daughter, Lauren E. Lewis, enjoyed life. She was a student at Texas A&M University and the service director of the A&M Maggies. Her goal was to inspire and serve.

She wanted to make a difference in this world and that she did. On March 3, 2008, she was fatally injured in an automobile accident and became an organ donor.

The circle of life continues.

Sam Hamilton – Blood Donor
Sam Hamilton has given in excess of 55 gallons of blood and platelets.

Ronnie Rice – Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Donor
Ronnie joined the National Marrow Donor Program Registry in October of 1997.

In October of 2008, eleven years after joining the registry, he was found to be a match with a patient in need of a transplant and donated his peripheral blood stem cells.

Tommy Gilbreath – Blood Donor
“In 1970, the new Texas World Speedway opened in College Station, Texas. They offered a free race ticket if a person would donate a pint of blood. I did so and I have been giving ever since.

I have given 189 pints of blood since 1970.”

Barbara Seely – Blood Donor
Barbara Seely has been giving blood since 1970.

The first time she donated blood was at the Kelly Springfield plant where she worked.
Now, Barbara is a ten-gallon blood donor.

Emmitt Pettigrew – Blood donor
Emmitt Pettigrew, Sr., was a 100 plus pint blood donor.

He gave his time and blood very willingly to the Tyler community.

Addie Pettigrew – Leukemia Patient
“My mother was a true pillar in the Tyler community. She hosted and coordinated events that benefited all races of people.

My mother was diagnosed with leukemia in May. She needed a bone marrow transplant and never received one mainly because of the unawareness of this disease in the African American race.

I am hoping this event will raise awareness so that people will not have to go through the things my family had to go through.”
~Angela Warren, Addie’s daughter

KeDarion Thomas – Stem Cell Transplant Recipient
KeDarion was diagnosed with leukemia in September of 2006. He was blessed with an unrelated donor match and received a stem cell transplant on May of this year.

He is doing well and is home with his family.

Dennis A. McAfee, Jr. - Blood Recipient
Dennis was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia at age three. He received blood transfusions as part of his treatment.

Dennis says, "I was given less that six weeks to live, but the transfusions were part of the successful treatment and why I am here today."

East Texas Black Nurses Association
The East Texas Black Nurses Association are being honored for the continued roll as advocates of marrow donation.

Justin McCullough
My husband, Justin was 22 years old when he had a four-wheeler accident causing brain trauma from which he did not recover. By donating his organs, Justin was able to save the lives of four other people.

Justin loved to be outdoors. His favorite hobbies were hunting and fishing. Justin and I were together for seven years and married for a year and a half. He was a member at First United Methodist Church in Jacksonville.

Justin was a kind loving person and his family and I will be missed very much.

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