November 1999 Welcome to the first edition of the Marrow Minute! This newsletter is the first update on DAVE HASSENPFLUG and his upcoming Bone Marrow Transplant (hence the name The Marrow Minute!). Some of you may personally know David, some of you may know him through a friend of a loved one - but we need the help and support of anyone who wants to make a difference in another persons life! Read on for more information... For those of you who are hearing for the first time about this major medical event in Dave's life, I'll explain... David Hassenpflug (age 33) was born and raised in Long Beach (with the exception of a 2 year stay in Oregon). He played local sports, attended Lakewood High and was the local "rebel without a cause"! He has two young sons, Max and Travis who are the joys of his life. Unfortunately, his life changed dramatically in November of 91... he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. In the past 8 years Dave has tried many ways to halt progression and calm symptoms... with little or no success. His condition has worsened to a point where he is wheelchair bound. He is unable to do many every day functions we take for granted... from writing a letter to driving a car. Now finally, we may have found the answer!!!!! Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation is the up and coming (experimental) treatment for autoimmune diseases, such as Multiple Sclerosis. It's not a miracle cure but it's a chance at halting new progression and minimizing or erasing some of the symptoms. The transplant will take place at the University of California, San Diego. The cost is $60,000 - $100,000 and believe it or not it may only take 4 months to raise... But we need you!!! What is Multiple Sclerosis (MS)? MS is a chronic and often debilitating disease that affects the Central Nervous System. Symptoms are believed to occur when the immune system "turns against" itself. This type of autoimmune response causes inflammation and ultimately destruction of myelin - insulation material which is wrapped around the nerve fibers of the brain and spinal cord. Without myelin, signals transmitted through the Central Nervous System are blocked and symptoms develop. The cause is unknown but theories are that it is caused by a virus and/or genetics. Some people with MS are hardly affected but others may have symptoms that affect day to day functions such as... blindness, fatigue, swallowing and breathing problems, spaticity and even pain. There is no cure... maybe this experimental Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) is the next step to finding one!!! The Scoop on BMTs The medical term for what Dave will be having is an AUTOLOGOUS Stem Cell Transplant. He will be receiving his own Bone Marrow after it's "fixed". It does not involve a donation of another persons Bone Marrow. This isn't a new procedure. BMT's have been done for years mainly on cancer patients. Some time ago, quite by accident, it was discovered that an Autologous BMT could help a person affected by an autoimmune disease such as Lupus and MS. The transplant goes sort of like this... In MS it is thought that the stem cells in the bone marrow malfunction producing an excessive number of defective cells (thus causing the autoimmunity). David's doctors will be removing these defective cells from his bone marrow and give large doses of chemotherapeutic drugs to "shut down" his immune system. He will need to be hospitalized as he will have absolutely no immune system. He will be very sick for a while and he will be at great risk for infections. The good news is that David's newly purified "baby" stem cells will then be reintroduced into Dave's system. If all goes well (with everyone praying!) David's "new" immune system will halt new progression and cause remission in Dave's MS... HOORAY!!! Back to News