I've explained it before but I'll do it again for anyone who may have missed out on how I became part of Kerry Magana's life. My daughter and all of us first met Kerry while we were in for our first admission at CMH. I liked Kerry immediately. Kerry had her hair growing back and it was all stubble. So I never wanted to look at her in case she thought I was starring. It turns out she could careless and often told Kaylee that losing her hair wouldn't be as bad as she might think. Kerry talked with Kay and it made me feel good. Kerry and Kaylee are around the same age.
I was still threatened by the disease so I didn't really care to meet Kerry's family. I wanted to stay away from all ill kids just in case they were to die. So that's what I did. I kept my distance. In January I heard Kerry relapsed and I saw her in clinic. She was there by herself. She had taken the bus to CMH. I thought about Kaylee and how things were so different for the two girls. Kaylee had two parents and Kerry with only one. Things are tough for a two family household, I couldn't imagine one parent trying to get everything done.
Claudia, Kerry's mom, would arrive at the end of the day to sign off on the treatments. When we were in clinic, I asked Kerry how she was getting the info out for her Bone Marrow Drive. She told me she was walking to restaurants and posting her flier, if they would let her, in the windows of establishments. Retail, restaurants, anyone. That's what grabbed me.
This child was pounding the pavement to save her little life. She was a fighter. I immediately got involved. I with the help of Carole Damon emailed, called, and orchestrated a blitz. I called the Hispanic newspapers, radio stations, and TV affiliates. We were going to find this kid a match. Joe Arce from the KC Hispanic News publication came and did a story on the day of the drive. The weather was terrible. The turn out was so so. It was icing and snowing. The efforts turned up a donor. I'm not certain if it came from the registry or the drive itself. But there was a match. Not a perfect match but a match.
I was done. So I thought. One day I was in clinic and Claudia and Kerry were there. We were in the GI department waiting for our girls to get released from being put under for a procedure. It was there that Claudia looked at me and said "I need help." I had already helped in the bone marrow drive, but never said two words to Claudia. I did once when I called their house to tell them they would be on air at a radio station in Argentine,KS. I felt like a fruit cake calling this little girl at home so I explained to the mom why I was calling. That was it as far as communication with mom.
Kerry at this time looked so different. She was sick. Her bone marrow transplant was planed for April or May but was postponed because of the relapse issue. When her mom told me she needed me to help with the visa I was all in. I called my partner Zach Lund who is an attorney. He told me to call Mike Talbot a State Rep. Mike told me to call Emanual Cleaver's office, and then I called the Guadalupe Center. That's were I met Christina Jasso of the Guadalupe Center. Together we started pestering, stalking, and harassing anyone who might be able to help. Joe Arce became involved again and we started to get momentum. I called Sarah Visomirski at KCTV 5 and she sent an email to Maria Antonia. Mary Sanchez with the KC Star was next. The exposure helped.
I donated a car to the family. It wasn't pretty but it was wheels. When I announced to the family that I was giving it to them so they could eliminate the bus, Kerry asked "is it an 6 or 8 cylinder?" I was shocked. She said "because gas is real expensive for a 8 cylinders." Kerry was looking out for her mom. She knew about cars too.
It was an honor to be part of the family and it will stay with me for a life time. I met all sorts of kind people along the way. It was meant to be. I talked to Claudia an hour ago. I told her I was here if she needed anything. She said "I know you are Michael."
The latest story from the Kansas City Star http://www.kansascity.com/276/story/889750.html
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