Mayor’s blood stem cells save leukemia patient

In 2006, Linden Mayor David Lossing stopped at a Be the Match national bone marrow registry booth on the University of Michigan campus and had his cheek swabbed to be a potential donor.

Id been giving blood for years, said Lossing, now 49. When I saw the Be the Match booth, it seemed like the next logical thing to do.

It turned out to be a life-changing experience. However, he didnt know that until six and a half years later, when he received a call last October that he was a potential match for international patient with acute leukemia. I had totally forgotten about it until I got the phone call, said Lossing.

The next step was for him to return blood vials to Be the Match, to narrow down the profile. When he found out that he was a good potential donor, he went to Michigan Blood in Grand Rapids for a more extensive physical and testing. I was the best match, he said.

There are two types of extraction processes for obtaining stem cells for a transplant. One is the non-surgical donation of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) and the other is a marrow donation through a surgical outpatient procedure in a hospital under anesthesia, which one is used is determined by the recipients physician.

Lossings procedure was the PBSC, a five-day process leading up to the donation. His extraction was set up for Dec. 14-17 and the actual donation day was Dec. 18. I was given shots of filgrastim every day at home to increase the number of blood-forming cells in my bloodstream, said Lossing. Then Suzanne and I went to Grand Rapids for the actual donation process.

The blood was removed through a needle in one arm and passed through a machine that separates the blood-forming cells. The remaining blood was then returned to Lossings system through the other arm. The blood-forming cells are back within four to six weeks, according to Be the Match.

I felt achy and fatigued, but thats all, said Lossing. Every day of the shots, it was a different part of my body that hurt, and finally on day 3, I took Motrin. I was still working at my job throughout the process.

As soon as the bone marrow was extracted, it was immediately taken to Detroit Metro Airport for an international flight to an unknown destination. The patient was expected to receive the parcel on Dec. 19. Lossing had also sent along a birthday card for the patient getting his bone marrow.

The transplant actually resets the clock to a persons birth, said Lossing. He now has a brand new immune system. Hell end up with my blood type and my DNA. Now I have an evil twin. Happy Second Birthday!

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Mayor’s blood stem cells save leukemia patient