UPDATE FROM THE SAMPERS FAMILY:

"Our family is so very thankful and grateful to everyone for their support, prayers and good wishes during this difficult time.  Chris, my sister, Cathy and I traveled to Calgary for the donor process.  On February 4th, Chris had her donor procedure and Jim received her bone marrow stem cells on February 5th.  At this point, things are progressing well and the transplant is appearing to be working although he has a long recovery in front of him. With some help from family and friends, we have been able to take care of our expenses. Your generous gifts will be very helpful to Jim and Rhonda with their ongoing expenses.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Patti Sampers and family (Steve, Terri, Ron, Tina, Chris, Kelley, Kerry and Sam)"




Help us raise money for Jim Sampers' Bone Marrow Transplant!

Jim is currently working as a Logistics Supervisor for a Propane delivery Company. Jim resides in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada where he moved to in 2007 to be with his wife and three step children. Jim and Rhonda's family have since grown to include 2 granddaughters. Jim is originally from Denver Colorado and has served as a board member of a National Non-Profit Organization called Sons and Daughters In Touch since 1997. He manages the mailing database for this organization as well as representing the organization at Veteran's events in the U.S.


On October 9, 2018 Jim was admitted to the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary, AB. On October 12, 2018 Jim was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome otherwise known as MDS or Pre-Acute Leukemia. Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of cancers in which immature blood cells in the bone marrow do not mature and therefore do not become healthy blood cells. MDS is a life-threatening disease. Treatments may include supportive care, drug therapy, and stem cell transplantation. The typical survival time following diagnosis is 2.5 years. On October 22, 2018 Jim started Chemo injections called Azacitidine, also known as Vidaza. Vidaza is a drug used in the treatment of cancer. It interferes with the growth and spread of tumor cells. Jim will be having these injections for 7 days and then off for 21 days. These injections will continue until a donor for the Bone Marrow transplant is found.


The Tom Baker Cancer Centre tested Jim’s siblings (Steve, Ron and Chris) to see if one of them is a Bone marrow match.  On November 21, 2018, Jim & Rhonda found out that Jim's sister, Chris, is a match for the bone marrow transplant!  The next step is them meeting with the transplant team in Calgary to discuss the upcoming process and scheduling. This will include Jim giving his consent in wanting to move forward with the transplant procedure. This meeting will take place within the next week or two.  Then Jim, Chris, and the team of doctors will discuss the next steps. It will take approximately 4-6 weeks of planning and scheduling at which time Chris will need to travel to the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary for more two additional weeks of testing. Jim will be admitted to the Cancer Centre at this time to start preparations for the transplant procedure. 




How the transplant process works:

Before the transplant is done Jim will get chemotherapy with or without radiation to destroy the diseased forming blood cells and marrow. Then healthy cells are given to Jim; the cells are introduced into his bloodstream through an intravenous (IV) line. The cells find their way into the marrow where they grow and start to make healthy red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.


What we are up against:

Once the Bone Marrow Transplant process starts Jim will be required to be off work for a minimum one year. He will lose 33% of his salary during this time.
After spending 6 weeks in Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, AB (where Tom Bake Cancer Centre is located), Jim will be required to live in Calgary for 3 months after he is released from the hospital. This requirement is because Jim’s home in Red Deer, AB is more than 45 minutes away from Tom Baker Cancer Centre.
Jim will need to hire a caregiver at his expense for three months while residing in Calgary. They will stay with Jim Sunday night through Thursday. Rhonda will come to Calgary Thursday after work to take over the caregiver duties and return home Sunday evening.
They will be responsible for the following costs for the sibling to participate in the transplant process:
Airfare to Calgary and back to Denver
Lodging in Calgary for the sibling for 2 weeks
Meals for the sibling for 2 weeks
Two of Jim’s siblings are self-employed, they will lose out on two weeks of wages

Rhonda & Jim appreciate anything you can do to help.  Additionally, they have committed to donating any excess funds to the American Cancer Society & the Canadian Cancer Society.