Hello. My name is John and I’m a ham. Ham radio operator, that is. Last weekend was Field Day – our club took a bunch of equipment into an orchard in Pepperell Massachusetts Saturday morning after breakfast, set it up, then “played radio” for about 24 hours before taking it all down again and going back home to collapse and complain about Field Day. I’m 105% certain we’ll do it again next year.
I got a letter (not just an email – a real letter) from Patty at The Caitlin Raymond International Registry to say that “no further testing” was requested by the physician on the case. I’m disappointed that I wasn’t able to help, but even moreso, I was disappointed that they have to continue searching for a suitable donor. On the up side, I mailed in Peggy’s DNA samples the other day. Maybe she’ll get to help someone.
I got another email on May 25 from Patty at The Caitlin Raymond International Registry saying that I was a serious candidate for donating bone marrow. I went the following week to a lab in Nashua, New Hampshire (it was a relatively convenient location) and had five vials of blood drawn for testing. Geez, even when I go to the physician for cholesterol work I don’t give up that much blood!
But this is pretty exciting, getting one step closer to helping someone.
You can help, too, by registering to be a bone marrow donor. Or, you may be interested in just reading the FAQ.
( NBC Television/Getty Images)
Don Herbert was my childhood hero, even more so than Captain Kangaroo (who went to AIC with my dad…). It was Mr. Wizard who captivated my mind and made me want to be a scientist. OK, I’m an engineer, but engineering is the application of science to solve real-world problems. (OK, so I’m a software engineer, but still…).
It was Mr. Wizard who made me curious about the world around me. Curious enough to dismantle shotgun shells to make little explosives (Yes, I still have all my fingers), mix Drano with aluminum foil to produce hydrogen gas to lift balloons into the not-so-far atmosphere over Monson, Massachusetts where I grew up (Yes, I still have both of my eyes).
It was Mr. Wizard who made me want to learn everything, and for that I’m eternally grateful.
Rest in Peace, Mr. Wizard.