Jeff & Trisha Bone Marrow Fund

Jeff and Trisha met while working  for non-profits in Uganda. They wed in November 2013.

In 2014 they relocated back to the states, ultimately settling in Reno, Nv. On May 29, Jeff and Trisha became parents to Indra Isabel.

At the beginning of 2015, Jeff had stopped running to keep fit because he was so breathless, and had chalked it up to the heat in Reno. He had been cold around the house over the last month, when his wife and other guests were quite warm. He had noticed that his pupils were dilated in the mornings and that, early in the day, he saw in stripes of light and dark. We have since found out that this was because he wasn't getting enough blood supply to his eyes and they were compensating.

Jeff was diagnosed wtih aplastic anemia, which essentially means his bone marrow is no longer functioning. More specifically, it doesn’t produce enough red blood cells, which oxygenate his body; it doesn’t produce enough white blood cells, which power his immune system; and it doesn’t produce enough platelets, which are responsible for clotting his blood.

He is being transferred to UCLA Medical Center to handle his care. The hope is to get a stem cell transplant. The timeline on when this happens all depends on whether or not we are lucky enough to find a donor quickly. When the transplant takes place, Jeff will need to be in the hospital for a month, as well as be in the LA area for a couple of months afterwards for observation. 

Since neither Jeff or Trisha can work during this time, we're looking to help them with medical costs, travel, food and hotel money while in Los Angeles going through the treatment as well as paying rent for their home in Reno. 

Additionally, now is a great time to check out www.bethematch.org and register to become a bone marrow donor. Registering only takes about 10 minutes, and they will send a kit to your house free of charge to take a cheek swab. The more we build up the registry, the better! 

Thank you.
Jeff & Trisha's family