Joshua

I have a friend, Joshua Ragsdale, who is battling leukemia. Joshua was given very few options to save his life, basically he was told he needed a bone marrow transplant or there was very little hope. Unfortunately none of his family members were a match for him, so he was referred to BE THE MATCH, which is the bone marrow registry and the desperate search began. His family, his friends, people who don’t even know Joshua became involved by submitting kits to register to be a donor.

I have, along with several of Joshua’s friends, worked for years to raise money for Relay For Life. We have a team and have a wonderful time each spring raising money and participating in this very worthwhile cause. We chose this year to make BE THE MATCH our focus for Relay. So, we contacted them and they supplied us with training and all the supplies we need to administer the kits and register people through BE THE MATCH. We have worked very hard to get the word out and sign people up all the while hoping not just to find a match for Joshua but matches for people like Joshua, who were frantically searching for a match.

Miraculously, a match was found through the registry. A one in 12 million chance, according to Joshua’s doctors. The process was started to prepare for the transplant. Joshua has been at NIH in Maryland for months enduring the treatments to prepare him to receive the transplant. On Monday Joshua was told by his doctors that the donor had backed out of the transplant. He is devastated, we are devastated for him. We are back to square one, again trying to get the word out, trying to change the donor’s heart, trying to find another. Joshua’s doctors tell him they can keep the cells from blasting for about 1 month…odds are not on his side.

Joshua Ragsdale is an amazing person. He is a successful songwriter and an incredible spirit. His words through the darkest of moments are a light to those of us dealing with nothing compared to his struggle.

I am attaching links to BE THE MATCH and to several facebook pages to give you a flavor of this story.
http://www.marrow.org/
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=143381280558&ref=ts
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=143381280558&ref=ts#!/joshua.ragsdale?ref=ts
http://www.facebook.com/beth.w.garrett?ref=profile

Please go to the site and register. Please pray for healing, pray for comfort, pray for understanding, pray for a cure. Pray for Joshua.