Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.

As many of you may know, Joe was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in 2016. MDS is considered a type of cancer and also commonly referred to as preleukemia. MDS is a condition that can occur when the blood-forming cells in the bone marrow become abnormal. This leads to low numbers of one or more types of blood cells.

The excellent care team at Dana Farber located in Boston has been keeping a close watch on Joe over the past year. It was determined by them to combat this disease in an offensive manor and proceed with a stem cell transplant while he is still relatively healthy and well. Rather than waiting until forced to make a defensive move, this aggressive approach will increase Joe’s odds of successfully receiving and recovering from the transplant. Joe’s daughter Melanie will be his donor using the Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSC) collection method. The preparation for transplant begins on April 5th for Joe and the evening of April 12th he will be receiving his new stem cells.

Our CaringBridge website will be frequently updated to reflect how Joe is doing throughout this journey. The site will also be a great place to leave your thoughts and well wishes for him.

We encourage you to register with Be The Match. For the thousands of people diagnosed every year with life-threatening blood cancers, a cure exists. But not without potential donors willing to save lives through transplant. If you are under the age of 60, joining the registry is as simple as filling out an online form and being mailed a registration kit to give a swab of your cheek cells. If you don't meet the age criteria you can still support the Be The Match simply by raising awareness to others or making a donation directly to them. Visit https://bethematch.org for more information and to learn how you can help make a difference.