Ash cloud puts lives of bone marrow patients at risk

[squirrellypoo]

Just when I thought I'd heard the worst stories of people being stranded (I personally know several still stuck), and reports of fruit and veg deliveries being disrupted, the BBC really puts this all into perspective with reports of 16 patients who've had their transplants cancelled because the stem cells couldn't be air couriered in time due to the flight cancellations. And that's only counting the patients IN the UK, not the other way around. So I wonder how many patients elsewhere in the world have also been affected by stem cells that were supposed to come from European donors.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8628078.stm

This could've been me - my stem cells came from an American donor last summer via air courier. I can't believe what these people are going through now...

Edit: more news on the Anthony Nolan site, too.

[Neil Cuadra]

I met a bone marrow courier and heard some of her stories. Since a recipient's life may hang in the balance they find any means of transportation when things go wrong and they go to extraordinary lengths. They'll double-book transportation, switch between planes/trains/cars, take circuitous routes if necessary, and improvise. When we read about couriers who managed to get bone marrow for scheduled transplants into and out of New York City when air traffic was stopped after 9-11, we realized that the couriers are no ordinary delivery people; they are unsung heroes.

When it comes to unforeseen circumstances, a volcano in Iceland certainly heads the list and when you have to cross an ocean there aren't many choices of transportation. Luckily, the airlines are talking about resuming service as soon as tomorrow. They should give priority booking to anyone who is transporting bone marrow or stem cells.

[Laura]

Hey Melissa, Yeah, that totally sucks for those patients. My cells came from Europe so I don't know what I would have done if I couldn't get my cells. I feel for those people.

Laura