Naomi W.

Naomi W.

Naomi was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia in the Fall of 2013 at the age of 6. She received a bone marrow transplant in January 2014 and seemed to have a good recovery. For two years she was able to live as a normal child. Unfortunately in October 2016, during a routine blood draw, it was discovered that her platelets were below normal and her red blood cells were slightly low. She became transfusion dependent and her doctors were unable to determine why this was happening. Her parents reached out to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and on Sunday evening, February 12, they decided to transfer her care to Dr. Margolis in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. At just 9 years old, Naomi received her second bone marrow transplant on March 7, 2017. Her older brother Micayah was her donor. She is currently staying with her mom and sisters at the Ronald McDonald House by the hospital, as she has frequent outpatient clinic appointments every week. With the help of the Bone Marrow & Cancer Foundation, Naomi’s family has raised funds through the CareLines Fund program, which will be used to help pay medical bills, allow her dad and siblings to travel to visit or stay with her while she recovers, and go towards the increased costs of having Naomi and Kristy across the country from the rest of the family.

CancerBuddy

Making the experience of cancer a little less lonely, CancerBuddy is a free app created to help patients find community and connections while going through treatment. CancerBuddy is the first peer support network connecting cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers to each other, as well as connecting them to corresponding support groups. Users match via age, diagnosis, treatment plan, hospital, or geographical location.

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Carelines

Our fundraising + social platform helps patients connect with family and friends to share updates and photos, and accept donations for cancer-related expenses. All contributions to Carelines are tax-deductible and do not affect the patient’s medical insurance and benefits.

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The Lifeline Fund

While insurance covers many costs of transplant treatment, there are many other unexpected expenses that can be a burden to those patients and their families. The Lifeline Fund is a transplant patient financial assistance program that helps cover some of the costs of medications, child care services, medical equipment, transportation, housing, cord-blood banking, compatibility testing and more.

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Ask the Expert

For patients and caregivers navigating cancer treatment and support, there are endless questions. The BMCF connects patients with a team of doctors, nurses and social workers to answer them. Ask the Expert allows queries to be asked and answered anonymously via our website portal.

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Clinical Care Counseling

To provide the emotional support needed during cancer and transplant treatment, we offer patients and their families confidential ten 25-minute phone or Zoom sessions, with licensed therapists.

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Patient Navigators

The healthcare system is a daunting one, particularly when navigating a cancer diagnosis or transplant. Patient Navigators are there to help navigate the process and help with referrals to medical specialists, treatment centers, and necessary resources.

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