My children's half-sister

I received this email from my daughter regarding her half-sister Diane. Diane has been struggling with schleroderma for the past 13 years. She is the mother of two beautiful children, has a wonderful, loving husband and a family that cares for her very much. We have watched her live as normal a life as possible defying her orignal doctor's prognosis that she would live 5 years after her diagnosis. That was 13 years ago! However, the disease is now affecting her lungs and kidneys and she has the opportunity to receive treatment that gives her the hope of overcoming this dreadful killer and spend many more years caring for her children and her family.

I am not asking you for money; what I am asking you to do is to look at her story and then possibly provide some ideas for fundrasing, or information for organisations that might be able to help her get the money she needs for the treatment. Her goal is to have treatment starting in January. The cost is $100,000 plus the expenses accrued from having to travel from Phoenix to Chicago. She has been able to raise just over $13,000 so far, but that is not near enough for this chance she has to battle this disease.

Thank you for reading Diane's story. And thank you for any help you may be able to provide.

I wrote a letter to Bob Saget and he has forwarded diane's story to The Schleroderma Reseach Foundation. We are hoping for a miracle!

Any ideas that you may have to get this information out to as many people as possible would be a great help also. The more people who see her story, the more might be inclined to contribute through the website she provided in her email.

She is such a beautiful woman who is sweet and generous to others. It is time now to try and give something to her that will allow her the chances of overcoming this killer disease and give her the opportunity to see her children reach adulthood.

I wrote Bob Saget because his sister died of this disease in 1991. He has been a supporter of research for this since his sister was diagnosed with it.



"Hey everyone. We have been praying for a long time that I would be healed from the disease that I have (which is scleroderma). Most of you know that I am trying to raise $100,000 so that I can have an adult stem-cell transplant to treat this disease. Insurance won't cover it because it is investigational. Friends are trying really hard to come up with ideas to get big money quickly.

If any of you have ideas please contact me. We want to be able to start the procedure in January but will need the money first. We held a benefit concert the other night and raised $5400.00 in one night so any idea could help. Pass this around to your good friends and if they have ideas great, or if they want to send some money every little bit helps!!!

Below is information for sending in contributions.

Make checks payable to: NTAF Southwest Stem Cell Transplant Fund

Note in Memo section: In Honor of Diane Krum

Mail to: NTAF
150 N. Radnor Chester Rd., Suite F-120
Radnor, PA 19087

If anyone wants more info have them visit:

www.transplantfund.org

Just type my last name: KRUM in the yellow box to the right and hit submit.

Thanks. I appreciate each of you and am blessed to be a part of such a big, wonderful family!!!

Loves...Diane"

I think that you need to set up a good blog page for her. The successful ones do get substantial donations from all over. Also try to get a local celebrity (or any celebrity) to endorse the fundraising effort. Perhaps that person or person can donate some autographed merchandise to be auctioned off on eBay. Post the links on the blog.

If I think of more ideas, I will post them.

Best wishes,
miu

I see that she already has a blog page. Have you tried getting media coverage yet? What about trying the Oprah or Ellen Degeneres shows? It's tough and I'm sure that they get deluged with requests, but you just never know what will strike their fancy.

ALSO what they do in my Town is involve the News..Hold benefit dinners by asking people to donate services for it...maybe get bands involved as well.
They did that to raise money for a young girl who needs a surgery here and it was a HUGE success!

I will also do some searching as well and pray hard for you all

Thanks guys! I think Diane is going to contact a local media station to get the word out. Her daughter was recently in a school play and the instructor surprised Diane by making it a fundraiser and giving her the proceeds from the ticket sales.

I have been sending out emails to everyone and posting a bulletin on myspace to get the word out as well. The more people who know the better. Once I get several replies and ideas on this thread I will send them to her and our family too so that they can maybe use some of them to help raise the necessary funds.

I appreciate all of your ideas. They are great ones so far.

Dammit....I was going to say that!
Yes, go to the local business's.....dinner for 2, massage, day spa, flower shops, etc.... and hold an auction for these services.
Or....how about raffling off your single male friends for a romantic date, etc...
Good luck and Brightest Blessings, TD

I feel that the webpage should have some thumbnail pics of the family doing family activities. The cover page has a lovely studio portrait of them, but some candids would really humanize the situation. If she has ever done any volunteer work, mention that too. And yes to fundraising dinners and car washes (when the weather gets warmer). Also add in a Paypal donation link. One good request is to just ask for the change in their pockets at the end of their day. So then they think of how easy it is to donate and a little the request was. Of course, they are bound to donate more than change. One of Oprah's guests was a man that became a millionaire by banking his spare change and then investing it.

My daughter sent a letter into Oprah. I realise she gets bombarded with this kind of thing all the time, but it never hurts to ask for help from her or any other celebrity.

I am sure they could hold a car wash or two considering they live in Phoenix where the weather is nice and warm. Great idea. Also the fundraising dinners.

I'll also suggest the pictures. She has some good ones I am sure that would show how silly and funny and cute they all are.

My daughter sent a letter into Oprah. I realise she gets bombarded with this kind of thing all the time, but it never hurts to ask for help from her or any other celebrity.

I am sure they could hold a car wash or two considering they live in Phoenix where the weather is nice and warm. Great idea. Also the fundraising dinners.

I'll also suggest the pictures. She has some good ones I am sure that would show how silly and funny and cute they all are.

HIt Oprah ,Montell williams you name it It won't hurt to try it!

It definitely does not hurt to try. How sad that the treatment is so expensive.

Lots of prayers for her and your family.

Just an update...

Diane has raised over $125,000! She is scheduled to begin her tests on February 5th. The family is of course very thankful for all donations that were given. We are hoping that this will allow her many more years with her children and her loved ones.

That is wonderful news Guin.....keep us updated!
Love, TD

That is OUTSTANDING news, Guin - I am so glad to hear it!!!! Wow, please do keep us updated!

I will update as often as I have news! She has to be in chicago away from her children for 2 months! She is such a good mother and it will be hard on them to be apart for that long. In the end she will gain more time to spend her life with them.

At 35 years old, Diane only has 50% lung capacity right now. This transplant will mean so much for her health. Scleroderma is a horrid auto-immune disorder that takes lives usually in the prime.

Please pray, light candles or whatever you do, for her and her family during this time.

Will do Guin!!!
How are her chances with the proper treatment?
I pray that they are good!
Love, TD

Prayers are being sent!!!

Will do Guin!!!
How are her chances with the proper treatment?
I pray that they are good!
Love, TD

Without the treatment, she will die. With the treatment her chances of living a much healthier life are quite high if you go by the number of patients who have had success from the stem cell procedure. Many of the patients who have had this done have no symptoms of the disease. They go into remission. Because this is all new...we don't know yet how long someone stays in remission. So far people are in at least 2 year remissions. That's how new the procedure is.