A family to meet their hero for the first time
Local leukemia patient and family set to meet woman from Germany who donated bone marrow for life-saving transplant
 Justin Cude of Tempe, Ariz., met his donor, Ina Sondershaus of Germany, two years after she anonymously donated stem cells that saved his life. |
While Justin, the Cude family and Ina have exchanged letters and e-mails, Justin and Ina will meet for the first time on Friday, May 18 at 10 am at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center. On that same day, the City of Hope-Banner program will celebrate 10 years of giving hope to more than 650 patients with cancer and blood diseases through transplant.
Ina Sondershaus, 32, who lives in Augsburg, Germany, lost her father to cancer when she was 6-years-old. Before she reached adulthood, her stepfather was also diagnosed with cancer and left the family in order not to be a burden.
She was 19 when she learned a young man in her neighborhood had leukemia. It was then, during a drive for this acquaintance, that she was compelled to register as a potential bone marrow donor with a global registry. According to Ina, “I registered because I thought, ‘This is an easy way to save somebody’s life.’”
In October 2004, she was contacted about donating stem cells-- an important component of marrow-- to a person who was very ill, but little information was provided in accordance with international privacy regulations. Ina agreed to donate and underwent further testing to confirm her own health and assure compatibility with this unknown recipient.
“I am always amazed,” says Jeffrey Schriber, M.D., medical director for the City of Hope-Banner Bone Marrow Transplant program, “by the selfless people who care so much for a stranger’s well-being.”
Recent advances in transplant allow donations to happen in one of several ways. In Justin and Ina’s case, it would be a stem cell donation. To increase the number of blood-forming cells in Ina’s blood she received daily injections of a drug called Filgrastim for five days before the collection. Her blood was then removed through a sterile needle in one arm, passed through a machine that separates out the cells used in transplantation, and the remaining blood was returned through her other arm. Ina says the drugs made her feel sick, and was she was tired after the donation, but she would do it again if there was a need.
Justin, then a freshman at Valley Christian High School in Chandler, Ariz., received his life-saving transplant on December 16, 2004.
Within days of donating Ina was told that a teenaged boy from the United States needed this donation, but it would be two years before she would know the name of the young man who survived as a direct result of her very personal, perfectly-matched gift.
In a first anonymous letter, delivered soon after the donation via a third party and with no identifying names in order to meet requirements, Ina wrote to Justin’s mom:
“Give my best wishes to your son, God bless you and will hold his hands over you. Maybe there will be one day we see each other. You never know what comes in your life, you don't know the unseen connections in this world.”
The Cude family learned of Ina’s identity for the first time on Valentine’s Day 2007; a day they will always remember.
Parents are not usually donors for their children because each provides one-half of their child’s genetic heritage. Siblings are an important consideration when searching for a good donor match, and yet each sibling has just a 25 percent chance of being compatible. Justin’s sister, Carissa, was not found to be a suitable donor for Justin.
Marrow drives, held in support of Justin, were responsible for more than 800 people in our community registering with the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). At least six of those potential donors have since been called for further testing.
 Nathanael Buus of Tempe, Ariz., was introduced to his marrow donor, Justin Chaney of Indiana, in a special ceremony for the City of Hope-Banner BMT staff. |
The City of Hope-Banner Bone Marrow Transplant Program, in partnership with the National Marrow Donor Program, will be holding a marrow drive on Saturday, May 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the lower level of the South Court at Metro Center Mall in Phoenix. No appointment is necessary.
Any consenting adult in generally good health, between the ages of 18-60, can be registered as a donor. For more information on qualifications, bone marrow donation, or the National Marrow Donor Program go to www.marrow.org.
The City of Hope-Banner Bone Marrow Transplantation Program is celebrating its 10-year anniversary of providing life-saving transplants this month. Through this program, more then 650 patients with cancer or blood diseases have found new hope through a bone marrow, umbilical cord blood or blood cell transplant. For more information, please visit www.BannerHealth.com, key phrase “City of Hope.”
The National Marrow Donor Program works through an extensive network of U.S. and international organizations to facilitate marrow and blood cell transplants for patients who need an unrelated donor transplant.
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Ina Sondershaus, Justin Cude, the Cude family, Justin’s physicians and representatives from the National Marrow Donor Program will be available for comment during this conference.
Ms. Sondershaus speaks basic, conversational English, but an interpreter will also be on-hand for the conference.
To learn more about the Cude family and Justin’s cancer fight, go to www.justincude.com
A second donor/recipient pair who will meet Friday morning will also be in attendance and available for questions – Nathanael Buus of Tucson, Ariz. (recipient), and Justin Chaney of Connersville, Ind. (donor for Nathanael, and also a second recipient. He donated once via a surgical procedure, and once via apheresis).
Contact:
Banner Good Samaritan Public Relations
(602) 239-4411
