Block Party for Yolanda
Come out to register as a potential blood stem cell donor with DKMS in honor of Yolanda and all the other 17,000 blood cancer patients looking for a donor One day you could be someone’s lifesaver!
Yolanda Lee, is a 57 year-old, devoted wife, loving mother of 4, and doting grandmother of 4. She is the wife to Willow Grove local, James Lee. He is now looking to his hometown and church to help support Yolanda as they searching for a life-saving donor.
Yolanda was recently diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS); a rare disease of the blood where the stem cells no longer mature into healthy blood cells and the only cure is a stem cell transplant. MDS often does not cause early symptoms and are sometimes found in a routine blood test. Yolanda woke up on December 26th, 2022 with a large bruise on her right side. She went to the ER and was immediately hospitalized due to critically low hemoglobin and platelet counts. After being hospitalized for 4 days of testing, she was diagnosed with MDS.
She is retired from the Houston Fire Department after 24 years of service as an engineer operator. She also served in the U.S. Army for 28 years. Her service didn't stop after her diagnosis. She continues to serve alongside her husband, Pastor James Lee, who oversees a local food pantry that feeds over 12,000 clients monthly. She assists with pastoral care and ministering to and serving those in need. With that being said, she needs a stem cell donor.
Join us on Sunday, June 18 for a donor registration event. 3 quick cheek swabs is all it takes to see if you are a match for Yolanda and other patients like her!
Did you know?
Heritage matters when it comes to finding a matching donor. Due to the lack of diversity in the donor pool it is difficult for African Americans to find matching donors. As it stands right now, African Americans only have about a 29% chance of finding a donor on the registry.
About DKMS:
DKMS is an international not for profit organization dedicated to the fight against blood cancer and blood disorders by: creating awareness; recruiting bone marrow donors to provide a second chance at life; raising funds to match donor registration costs; supporting the improvement of therapies through research; and supporting patients from day one of their diagnoses.