Welcome to the May 2019 edition of our nbmtLINK E-nnouncement
We strive to educate, inspire and offer support and hope to patients, caregivers and health care professionals navigating the bone marrow transplant journey.
It is truly our honor. Visit our website often for recorded series, blogs sure to inspire and much more.

Zen and the Art of Surviving a
Bone Marrow Transplant

"Zen, a Japanese word that simply means “meditation,” is most often associated with Buddhism, but is actually a kind of non-religious discipline, a way of training ourselves and our minds to live calmly in the present moment. It actually can help to increase our capacity to handle the suffering that comes with a disease like cancer."


Above: left to right: Peter's fiance Olya, Peter, his donor Ralf and Ralf's wife Kirsten in September 2018, in Aschaffenburg, Germany .

Caregivers Wanted to Help Future Caregivers through this Short Survey


Caregivers experience significant
challenges while caring for a loved one
going through the hematopoietic cell
transplant (HCT) process. The journey
can often be long and unpredictable,
and caregivers are thrust into this role
without much training. The purpose of
this study is to survey caregivers about
their caregiving needs so that we may
better understand how best we can
support them before, during, and after
the transplant procedure.

The goal of this study is to gather enough information that may help us design and develop an effective intervention specifically for caregivers of patients (loved ones) going through the HCT process. Compensation available (Visa gift card).
Our next FREE Lunch & Learn is
Wednesday, June 19, 2019, at NOON EST
 

A Telephone Support Program for Patients and Their Families/Caregivers/Loved Ones 

The Use of Light Intervention to Reduce Fatigue and Depression in Individuals Undergoing Cancer Treatment or in Survivorship



Wed., June 19, 2019
Noon EST (Please note your time zone)

This month's program will focus on cancer-related fatigue (CRF), which is the most commonly reported negative sequela of cancer and its treatment, defined by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) who further touts it as "a distressing, persistent, subjective sense of physical, emotional, and cognitive tiredness or exhaustion related to cancer or cancer treatment that is not proportional to recent activity." CRF and depression are highly prevalent among cancer patients and survivors. Despite high levels of fatigue/depression among cancer patients and survivors, both conditions are
under diagnosed and under treated. We will review the use and success of light therapy to reduce fatigue and depression among cancer patients and survivor, presented by William H. Redd, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Katherine N. DuHamel, Ph.D., Attending Psychologist, Director, MSK Psycho-oncology Education & Training Institute, Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Psychiatry Service & Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry, 
Weill Cornell Medical College, Department of Psychiatry


Dial in information is included on the registration form, Technical questions, call Peggy Burkhard, 248-770-5172 or  [email protected] .
 
The nbmtLINK’s Jennifer Gillette, LMSW, will facilitate and lead this program. Please note: this session will not cover medical treatments or specific diseases. If you would like to talk to Jen one on one regarding other topics, please email Jen at  [email protected] . There will be plenty of time for relevant questions related to this month's topic.The call in information is contained in the form you use to register. Note: YOU call in to participate. (We do not call you.)
How We Help Others!
We are a phone call away for patients and their loved ones. From one on one peer support to scheduled call series and webinars, we are ready to ease your burden.
Patients, caregivers and health care professionals are amongst those we aim to help through our valued resource books, programs and one on one calls.
We simply cannot do it without the support of corporations, foundations and individuals willing to make a difference in the lives of others.
We Invite You to Become an nbmtLINK Link Partner!
Link Partners include cancer centers and allied partners who annually support our mission of providing psychosocial support to patients, caregivers, their families and health care professionals dedicated to helping people navigate a bone marrow transplant. If you would like to learn more about the many benefits (books, programs, hyperlink on our website, bookmark inclusion) to being a Link Partner, please do not hesitate to contact us at (248) 358-1886. Want a free bookmark which lists our many Link Partners? Let us know and we will send you one!

American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT)
Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Center
Be The Match Patient Support Center
Blood Marrow Transplant Program at Northside Hospital
Blood & Marrow Transplant Program, The Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University
Center for International Blood & Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR)
City of Hope 
Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center
DKMS US
Duke Adult Blood & Marrow Transplant Program, Duke Cancer Institute
Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network
Henry Ford Cancer Institute Stem Cell Transplant program
Incyte Corporation
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Meredith A. Cowden Foundation
Nebraska Medicine
Oregon Health & Science University Knight Cancer Institute
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Seattle Cancer Care Alliance
Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University
School of Medicine 
Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program, John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center
Spectrum Health Cancer Center
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center
Thank your for being a friend of the nbmtLINK. We simply could not do this without you. If you can support our efforts at this time, we thank you in advance. Every dollar helps..

Sincerely,
Peggy Burkhard
Peggy Burkhard
Executive Director
(248) 358-1886
National Bone Marrow Transplant Link