Hi loved ones!

For those of you who don't know, I am volunteering this year with Gift of Life - an organization that helps people join the Marrow Registry. I am also taking on fundraising for the Jerusalem marathon so that not only can we add donors to the registry, but also so that we can have money to test the kits (each kit costs 60$ to test, equally as important). I am specifically passionate about this cause to help my 6 year old cousin Norah find her perfect match. 

Norah is an expert joke-teller, modern-dancer, ice cream-licker, and loving big sister.  At six years old, she takes her jobs pretty seriously. And she's not messing around when it comes to chocolate chip cookies.  When Norah's not in Pre-K, you can find her playing in her favorite park or lounging at home with her nose in a book (or ten). 

I can personally confirm that the above paragraph is very true! I recently had the pleasure of going trick-or-treating with her and her family in New Mexico and it was beyond a blast dressing up together and filling our pillowcases with treats. 

Norah was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Fanconi Anemia (FA). Essentially, FA interferes with her body's ability to properly repair its DNA.  If untreated, it increases her risk of leukemia or bone marrow failure to 90%.

Currently, the only treatment to prevent leukemia is a bone marrow transplant.  Norah is healthy right now, but her doctors predict that she will need a bone marrow transplant in the next few years which will require a donor with an exact match to make sure the procedure is successful.

Finding the right bone marrow match is not easy. While siblings typically make the best donors, Norah's little brother is unfortunately not a match. We need to expand the national bone marrow registry of potential donors to find a match for Norah. 

This is where you come in. I am going to be walking the 10k with Gift of Life to raise money for Swab kits to continue testing potential bone marrow matches for Norah and every other person who is in need of a match! 

Please donate as much as you can to support this organization and this cause that is very important to my family!

Love,
Naomi