Story for Little Asad

This is a true story, written by my friend Gerri who owns a promotional advertisement company. She gave me this story to translate in urdu for Asad. it touched my heart and i am sure will touch yours as well.
June 2008

Our Story

Dear Asad,

This is our story…maybe it is not even a story but a statement of the facts as I remember them. The fact is….it is about me and you and how our lives become in a certain sense “one”.

March, 1992.

I am living in Gloucester, Massachusetts USA. I go to work everyday. I spend time with my family and friends. I live a busy life like most of the people I know. At this time in 1992, I believe your mother would be 16 years old and your father 21 years old. I am not sure where they were living or if they even knew each other at that time. They can fill in these facts for you as I am sure they will.

One day there is a story on TV and in the local newspaper about a young girl that had cancer and was in need of a bone marrow transplant. Her family had tried everything and as a last attempted to save her life they appealed to the local community to see if a bone marrow match for their daughter could be found. I remember hearing this on TV and thinking how desperate the family was to find a match for their little girl. They decided to have a blood drive one Saturday morning. The asked for people to come and have a simple blood test in hopes by some miracle a match would be found.

I am not sure what made me go that day but I decided it was important for me to go. I remember standing in line talking to complete strangers about this young girl and how terrible a situation this was. We knew the odds were slim in finding a match but it felt good to all of us to give it a go! I asked the nurse as I filled out the forms for the test what the chances were for the young girl. She said the odds were not good. I asked if I would be notified regarding the results. She responded, “Only if you are a potential match”. She said my name and blood type would be kept on file for the future however she continued….most people are not a match for anyone….ever! That was I last I heard about this and I never learned if the little girl found a match for the bone marrow.

December 2004

It is late in December almost the New Year (2005). I am still living in Gloucester, Massachusetts however since 1992, I have moved a couple of times, changed phone numbers, changed jobs and in 2000 started my our company, Corporate Accents Unlimited. As with many new companies we put up a web site which described what the business was all about. Corporate Accents is a promotional advertising company. We work with all kinds of companies. We take the name of the company and we imprint that name on T shirts, hats, bags, pens, coffee mugs and more. By now you are probably wondering why I am telling you so much about my company. Well Asad, here is where our story really begins. It had been a very busy day with a lot going on in the office and it seemed like the phones would not stop ringing. I remember thinking it is almost the New Year and in a few days I will be on vacation as I answered the phone. I expected to hear one of my clients asking me a question but instead I heard a voice say, “are you the Gerri Weiner who gave blood for a bone marrow drive held in Peabody, Massachusetts 13 years ago. I was so surprised. I had to stop and think for a minute as it had been so long and I had not even thought of this in years. I said that I was the person they were looking for and quickly asked them how they ever found me. As they started their search, she said they found me because my name appeared on my web site. She explained that she represented the HLA Registry and that my name had come up as a potential bone marrow match. She asked if I would consider going for a blood test. I quickly said yes. I will never forget her words, “you most probably will not be a match” but the Registry will let me know the results. Later I learned that the HLA Registry is a medical center in New Jersey that is part of The National Marrow Donor Program in the US.

January 2005

Within a few days of the first call I went and gave blood. Several weeks later, I received another call from the HLA Registry asking if I would go for another blood test. They did not give me any information as to who this was for. I assumed the patient was an adult with Leukemia and of course in the US. I said yes, I would go and take another blood test.

March, 2005

I received the 3rd call for more blood tests. At this time, they finally told me that the patient was a little boy under a year old with Hurlers Syndrome. I was shocked, it never occurred to me that this would be for a baby and I had no idea about Hurlers Syndrome. I went to research through the internet to find out all I could about Hurlers Syndrome. I was sure I would not be the match but now that I knew a little bit about the patient I prayed that someone, somewhere would be able to help this little boy. I thought of your family and could not imagine what they must have been going through.

March 28, 2005

I came home from work…another ordinary day. As always, I checked my phone messages. Well Asad, this was no ordinary day! It was the HLA Registry saying the tests had come back and I was a 6 for 6 match for the little boy and would I give them a call as soon as possible. I was so excited. I listened to the message many times to make sure I was hearing it correctly. My little dogs could only stare at me and wonder what was going on. It was late at night but I started calling my family and friends to tell them this wonderful news. First thing next day I was on the phone with the Registry finding out what I needed to do. They told me I had to go for a complete exam to make sure that I was in good health. I immediately made the appointment at Mass General Hospital, one of the best hospital in Boston and passed my exam with no problems.

During this process, I asked many questions…. about you…about the disease….I learned that there was an International Bone Marrow Registry…I asked about the procedure that I would have done….I asked if it was possible that we were related in some way…what were your chances if the bone marrow was successful…I learned it was a 1 in 8 million chance for us to be a match …..my questions were endless. Finally, they told me you were not in the US but they would say no more. Again, I was so surprised as it never occurred to me that you would be in a country so far away. The doctors and nurses were wonderful and they answered as much as they could for me. It seems there were different policies for different centers. I learned it would be 2 years before I would know who and where you were. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I found that I would tell strangers your story if I had the chance. It was now Asad that I, my family and my friends took you into our hearts. You had no name, no face but you were my boy…my special boy.

May 19, 2005

May 19th was my Mother’s birthday and although she had passed away a few years earlier I was sure in some way this was a good sign and a lucky day for the both of us. This was my big day although it was nothing compared to what you had been through to get ready for the bone marrow. I went to the hospital that day for the procedure and I must say it was a wonderful experience. The doctors and nurses came to see me and they too were so happy for me and you. They told me the plane was ready to fly the bone marrow to you and that you would have it within 24 hours. I stayed in the hospital overnight and went home the following day. I was a little sore but truly I didn’t notice. I was filled with this wonderful feeling and to this very day when I think about it my heart fills with joy.

Here is one of the interesting parts to this story. You my Asad are one lucky boy. Lucky that you were in a place that was able to diagnosis your illness so quickly and lucky again for you, as I was 3 months away from the age cut off when they no longer would consider me as a potential donor. You were at one end of the scale and I was at the other and it was our destiny for this to work.

August, 2005

The Registry called again to say you were doing well however you were still fighting infection and would I give platelets ( another type of blood test ) as you needed this to help battle the infection. Back to the hospital for the test…months later I would learn it was successful.

March 2006

I received the first letter from you family. I was like a little child as I was jumping and yelling with joy. In it they said you were doing well…each day better and better. I also knew from that letter that one I would know you name and who you were. Until then I called you Bo ( short name for Special Boy ). The love and gratitude that was in that letter from your family was so strong you could almost touch it.

July 2007

At last, the letter I have been waiting for. No more are you Bo…now you are my Asad. I have your name and soon the pictures arrive. You are just a little boy but you have touched the lives of many. You make each day a better one just knowing you are healthy and growing. For me Asad you are the best gift of all. I am proud to be part of you.

When I learned that you were in Germany but that your family came for Pakistan, I thought about our story and how wonderful a story it is. I am an American Jewish women who by some miracle was able to help this little Pakistani baby. When I wrote to your father and told him of my background he wrote back and said it best….”when you cut the skin the blood is the same”. My wish for you Asad is that you grow up to be a good boy and a good man. Remember that an act of kindness can touch one or many …you may never know the result but it does not matter. I was lucky that my act of kindness came back to me in a big way. I have you now in my life and for all time you will be my special boy. Soon I will meet you and the pictures I have been looking at for months will come to life when I see those laughing eyes.

We have both been blessed
With love,
Auntie Gerri