About Michael Brecker

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Michael Brecker is 56 and an internationally renowned jazz musician. As a

result of his harmonic innovations, Michael is among the most studied

contemporary instrumentalists in music schools throughout the world today.

Michael has recorded and performed with a virtual Who’s Who of hundreds of

Jazz and pop giants including McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, James Taylor,

Chick Corea, Chet Baker, George Benson, Quincy Jones, John Lennon, Charles

Mingus, Joni Mitchell, Aerosmith, Paul Simon, Wynton Marsalis, Frank

Sinatra, James Brown, Bruce Springsteen, Steely Dan, Pat Metheny, Billy Joel

and Elton John. As a leader and co-leader of The Brecker Brothers (with

Randy Brecker) and Directions in Music (with Herbie Hancock and Roy

Hargrove), Michael has received 11 Grammy Awards-more than any saxophonist.

For further information, go to http://www.michaelbrecker.com

LETTER FROM SUSAN BRECKER:

PLEASE SEND THIS TO AS MANY PEOPLE YOU KNOW

Dear Family and Friends,

My husband, Michael Brecker, has been diagnosed with MDS (myelodysplastic

syndrome) and it's critical that he has a bone marrow or blood stem cell transplant

(which has nothing to do with embryonic stem cells). The initial

search for a donor, including Michael’s siblings and children, has not

resulted in a suitable match. We now hope to have as many people tested as

possible that share a similar genetic background as my husband. There are

some important points to understand concerning this process:

1. The screening involves only a blood test. It can be done very easily at a

donor center of the National Marrow Donor Program [NMDP]. The blood test

identifies your HLA tissue type. The cost for the test is generally $40 to

$95 depending on the donor center and the lab that completes the test. After

this initial testing all medical expenses are paid for by the patient or the

patient’s insurance. Go to http://www.marrow.org or call 1-800-MARROW-2 to find

the donor center nearest you. In NYC, you can make an appointment with

Frazier at the NY Blood Bank [212-570-3441 / 310 East 67th Street]. The

test is $40. If it’s difficult to make it to a blood center, private kits

are available from Tepnel Life Codes [800-915-3695]. Order the “HLA

[A][DR]” kit for $140. You will need to have a small vial of blood drawn.

Indicate to Tepnel that your test is for “Michael Brecker” and they will

know to whom to forward your results.

2. As a volunteer donor, you are never legally obligated to donate. A late

decision not to donate, however, can be life-threatening to a patient and

among the most disheartening news a family can ever receive. Consider your

decision to be a donor carefully. Thanks.

3. Should you be selected as a potential donor for Michael or any other

patient, please understand that there have been tremendous advances in "bone

marrow transplants" and the term itself can be misleading. At major cancer

centers, blood stem cells can, in nearly all instances, be harvested

directly from your blood. A donor is simply connected to a machine that

separates the needed cells before the donor’s blood reenters his/her system.

On occasion such cells may have to be harvested directly from your bone

marrow. All the necessary precautions are taken to ensure the donor’s

well-being and safety. In the event you’re asked to donate blood stem cells,

a volunteer will first receive a thorough physical examination—at no cost to

him or herself.

4. A match for Michael would be most likely come from those of Eastern

European Jewish descent. If you or anyone you know are in this category

please make a special effort to immediately get tested. Please also note

that testing is free for minority groups at NMDP blood centers. Ultimately,

you would be doing something not just for Michael, but for so many more whom

are in a similar situation as my husband.

5. You are now part of our internet-based drive for donor testing. If

everyone who receives this email can motivate a bunch of their friends to

get tested, and those friends then forward the email to get their friends to

get tested, we will have rapidly expanded the pool of potential donors. I

urge all of you to get tested AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Finally, any local National Marrow Donor Program donor center can assist in

organizing a drive for Michael, although it would be desirable if you can

get a large group, e.g. a synagogue, to sponsor it. The “Gift of Life,” an

organization whose mission is to increase the representation of the Jewish

people in the bone marrow donor pool will test you for free when part of a

donor drive organized through “Gift of Life.” For further information call

561.988.0100 http://www.giftoflife.org. There exist other organizations that

have a similar mission for African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, etc.

Whatever your roots, please get tested to assist others!

Should you have any questions about any of this, do not hesitate to get in

touch with Michael's management office at 212.302.9200 or

PLEASE REFER TO THE FAQ BELOW THIS LETTER

info@michaelbrecker.com

Thank you so much for your love and support. We are so grateful.

Susan ox

FAQs ABOUT STEM CELL TRANSPLANTS

Susan Brecker’s heartfelt plea elicited an outpouring of support for

Michael—and an outpouring of questions. As there is outdated and conflicting

information on the web concerning the stem cell transplant process that can

assist Michael and so many others, we assembled a list of frequently asked

questions—a hybrid of material found throughout the web in addition to new

information. Before contacting Michael’s management office with your

questions, please review the following. Thank you for your support.

Q01: What is a bone marrow or blood stem cell transplant?

A: It’s a potentially life-saving treatment for patients with MDS, leukemia,

lymphoma, and other blood diseases. The transplanted healthy stem cells from

a donor replace a patient's unhealthy blood cells that have been destroyed

by chemotherapy.

Q02: Are these the same stem cells about which there exists so much

controversy?

A: No. Those are embryonic stem cells---which are completely

undifferentiated. Donors would be providing blood stem cells where the

extent of differentiation is only the specific type of blood cell that will

form.

Q03: Does my blood type matter?

A: Not at all. The testing is for genotype (tissue type) and not blood

type.

Q04: Who can be tested?

A: Donors must be between the ages of 18 and 60, in good general health and

be free of chronic diseases. For example, volunteers with serious asthma,

Hepatitis B or C or most forms of cancer (regardless of whether in

remission) cannot be accepted.

Q05: What is the procedure?

A: Testing only takes a couple of minutes and, at worse, is as painless as

giving blood. Blood is drawn for testing and a consent form is filled out.

In some instances, a buccal swab (a sterile Q-tip which is rubbed along the

wall of your inner cheek to collect cells) is used.

Q06: Does a person's race or ethnicity affect matching?

A: Because tissue type is inherited, patients are most likely to match

someone of their same race and ethnicity. There is a special need to recruit

more donors who are, for example, African Americans, Native Americans,

European Jews, Armenians, Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, Asians, Hispanics

and Latinos. The reason why there are greater number or donors needed for

these groups is as a result of either purges of the population (genocide,

etc.) and/or relatively few people in the group in the international

registry. A match for Michael would be most likely come from those of

Eastern European Jewish descent.

Q07: Where do I go to get tested?

A: Contact the NY Blood Bank [212-570-3441 / 310 East 67th Street] and make an

appointment for HLA typing. Due to an overwhelming number of volunteers, walk-ins

will not be accepted. If you’re not in NY, go to http://www.marrow.org or call 1-800-

MARROW-2 to find the donor center nearest you. Marrow.org will assist donors who

wish to join the national registry. We hope that you will join the national registry,

however, if you do not wish to join the registry [see Q13] or it’s difficult to make it to a

blood center, private kits are available from Tepnel Life Codes [800-915-3695]. Order

the “HLA [A][DR]” kit for $140. You will need to have a small vial of blood drawn.

Indicate to Tepnel that your test is for “Michael Brecker” and they will know to whom to

forward your results.

Q08: How much is the testing and who pays for it?

A: The test generally cost $40 to $95 depending on the donor center and the

laboratory that completes the test. Testing at the New York Blood Center is

just $40. However, if you’re African American, Hispanic, Native American or

Asian testing is free at any donor center that’s part of the National Marrow

Donor Program network [800-MARROW-2]. More than 100 centers throughout the

country—including the New York Blood Center are part of the network.

Following the initial testing, all medical expenses are paid for by the

patient or the patient’s insurance.

Q09: What is the test for?

A: The test is to determine whether a tissue-type match exists between the

donor and the patient. More specifically, potential donors [and the patient]

are given an HLA or Human Leukocyte Antigen test. Antigens are found on the

surface of infection-fighting white blood cells (leukocytes). A match

between specific donor and recipient antigens is critical to having a

successful transplant (i.e., where the two immune systems will not go to war

with one another). Should you see your HLA results, the numbers indicated

are the identifying gene-pair markers (alleles) that are responsible for

your “A” antigen, for example, to be different than someone else’s “A”

antigen. In the fortuitous event you’re deemed a good match after three

specific antigens are compared, you will be asked for a second blood test.

Q10: What are the chances of my being selected?

A: As you might imagine, given the number of genes that need to match, the

overall chances are quite low...but the more people tested, the more likely

there will be a perfect match awaiting everyone.

Q11: Has Michael’s family been tested?

A: Yes, both his siblings and children---none match. There is also a rumor

afloat [04AUG] that a match has been found for Michael.... regrettably, this

is inaccurate.

Q12: How are patients actually matched with donors?

A: The results of blood samples from donors or umbilical cord blood units

[see Q17] are added to different registries. The registries are then

searched for a donor whose tissue type matches that of their patient.

Q13: Can I be tested to be a donor only for Michael?

A: Yes, but on behalf of Michael, we hope that you would not embrace this

alternative. Explains Michael, “I hope to encourage as many people as

possible to get tested not just to assist me, but to help thousands of

others who are either facing or who will be facing the same challenge with

which I’m now confronted.” Should you nonetheless wish to make a donation

only for Michael, private kits are available from Tepnel Life Codes [see

Q07].

Q14: If I’m not eligible or prefer not to be a donor, is there anything

else I can do to help?

A; [1] Please encourage everyone you know to be a donor irrespective of

whether they may be a possible match for Michael. There are many people in

the same situation as Michael that are in need of a donor. [2] You can

organize a local donor drive in your community. For more information on

doing so, please contact Michael’s management at 212.302.9200 or

info@michaelbrecker.com. [3] Send a tax-deductible donation to The Marrow

Foundation [payable to: The Marrow Foundation; memo line: Time Is of the

Essence Fund]. All monies will be exclusively used for the testing of

potential donors---not those who just wish to assist Michael, but donors

willing to join the international registry.

The Marrow Foundation

Time is of the Essence Fund

400 Seventh Street, NW, Suite 206

Washington, DC 20004

Q15: Is there a difference between a bone marrow transplant and blood stem

cell transplant?

A: Yes…and no. As a result of new technologies, the term “bone marrow

transplant” is in part a misnomer. In earlier years marrow had be extracted

from a donor’s marrow. Today at leading cancer centers like Memorial Sloan

Kettering, the collecting process rarely occurs this way. A donor is simply

connected to a machine through an IV that separates and harvests the blood

stem cells from the donor’s blood before the blood returns to the donor

through a second IV. Instead of being tethered to a machine for a few hours,

some folks still prefer direct marrow collection---where medical technology

has also improved. Following anesthesia, marrow—-which continually

replenishes every 4-6 weeks---is withdrawn using fine hollow needles in the

hip. A sore bottom may result for a few days. In short, whatever the brief

discomfort of whichever method that’s used—it’s nothing compared to the

virtue and humanity of potentially saving a life.

Q16: Can I take my name off the donor registry at any time?

A: Yes, being on the registry just means that you may be asked to be a

donor. It is strongly preferred, however, that you remove your name from the

registry if you feel you may be disinclined to be a donor. Nothing may be as

heartbreaking as someone having to learn that there exists a perfect match

to save the life of a loved one…and the donor changed their mind about being

a donor. Being a donor is not deleterious to your health. While we hope that

you become a donor, please do not add your name to any donor registry if

you’re not prepared to step-up when the opportunity presents itself.

Q17: If I am a match, who pays for the necessary procedures?A: If you are a match,

the patient's insurance pays for the entire

procedure---there is no cost to you. This includes the cost of the physical

you will receive to ensure that you’re in good health.

Q18: I’ve heard about “cord donations” and stem cells from umbilical

cords—what’s that?

If you or anyone you know is having a child, inform the obstetrician that

you would like the umbilical cord to be delivered to a cord blood bank where

it is tested and where the blood stem cells are frozen for future use in the

event of a match. The collection does not pose any health risk to the mother

or baby and does not affect the birth process in any way. The cord would

otherwise simply be disposed of.

For further information on donating umbilical cord donations:

http://www.nationalcordbloodprogram.org

For ordering a private HLA kit:

http://www.bonemarrowtest.com/getting_test...ering/index.asp

For further information on whether you qualify as a donor:

http://www.marrow.org/HELP/marrow_eligibil...guidelines.html

For learning where to get tested at a National Marrow Donor Program blood center:

http://www.marrow.org/cgi-bin/NETWORK/map.pl?ctr_typ=DC

If you’re Asian American you may wish to visit:

http://www.aadp.org or http://www.asianmarrow.org

If you’re African American:

http://www.aachac.org/healthfactsheets/bone_marrow.html

If you’re Jewish:

http://www.giftoflife.org

If you’re Latino or Hispanic:

http://www.icla.org

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I'm not recommending or endorsing this appeal in any way. Since I've listened to Michael Brecker's music for a long time (and most of you have too, possibly without knowing it), I am considering what it says.