Albuquerque Journal from Albuquerque, New Mexico • Page 18

C4 Albuquerque Journal Monday, October 17, 2011 Summit Entertainment, the studio behind the film. did a really broad screening program so I was expecting to get the emails saying, can you be so But we get any of is based on the screenwriter Will fight against spinal cancer at age 25, and the story is resonating with those who are too old to be considered pediatric oncology patients but too young to share much in common with older adult cancer patients. While there is a slew of resources targeted at child and older adult cancer patients, those who fall in between, like Reiser, say often at a loss. The medical establishment, they say, is only beginning to recognize their specific needs. This group tends to be the most transient, and the most uninsured.

They have specific psychological, physical and financial issues unique to their age. story is the archetype for the story of how much it (stinks) to be sick in your 20s and treated as if in your said Zachary, who founded the Too Young for This! Cancer Foundation as a resource for young adults affected by cancer. was torn from the pages of my life, and heard that quote from hundreds of other young adults who have seen the film. Whether the doctor who make eye contact or the overbearing mom who wants to help, or the girlfriend who abandons you, or the manic hysteric fits of rage, all of it is so Reiser said he never intended to become the poster child for young people with cancer but he is very gratified that his retelling of his experience has connected with so many others in similar situations. were just trying to tell a story that was personal to us and to tell a good said Reiser, who produced the movie with his longtime friend Seth Rogen, who co-stars in the film and was an active part of support group during his treatment.

fact that starting a broader conversation and is helping people who are going through a similar situation, that is really Dr. Stuart Siegel, associate director for pediatric oncology at the University of Southern California Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, has partnered with Dr. Debu Tripathy to start an adult program at the facility. a burgeoning area of research, practice and training that he says came to the forefront in 2005 when the national tumor registry published data indicating that this group of patients was not showing much improvement in survival rates, compared with children and older adults. Siegel, who moderated a post-screening panel with Reiser, Rogen and co-star Anna Kendrick at the University of Southern California last month, said the film could serve as a useful tool.

of the medical students and faculty I talked to after the screening thought it was a wonderful training film, which is unusual for a Hollywood movie. But it really did hit virtually all of the key said Siegel, referring specifically to how the film addresses interpersonal relationships, sexuality, the pain associated with treatment, and losing friends made during chemo sessions, among other topics. only issue Will hit was the financial issue, which I asked Will added Siegel. told me he had to write his script to pay all his medical at Mayo Clinic of Arizona. can give so many things away to people, but the gift of life is the ultimate she said.

what Beverly gave Singer, a native of Santa Clara Pueblo, provided a liver that matched Mathews so well that the transplant surgeon call it a of said husband, Derek Mathews. Typically, surgeons have to stimulate the transplanted liver with drugs to encourage it to function, but liver required nothing, he said. By finding a living donor, Mathews was able to avoid the long wait that eventually kills many of the 17,000 people in the United States now registered for a donor liver with the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network. many ways it was a miracle that I was able to find exactly what they needed for said Mathews in a recent interview. not that easy for most people who have to wait, and I have to The long wait Native Americans typically must wait.

And too often, they die waiting. Native Americans make up a disproportionate share of New Mexicans waiting for donor organs, according to data from New Mexico Donor Services, a nonprofit that oversees organ donations in the state. Native Americans, who make up 9.4 percent of the population, account for 23 percent of the 423 New Mexicans waiting for a kidney transplant. As of July 30, Native Americans accounted for about 15 percent of all New Mexicans waiting for any kind of donated organ. Native Americans share a genetic heritage that can make it difficult to match them with a suitable donor, said Maria Sanders, a spokeswoman for New Mexico Donor Services.

The fact that Singer and Mathews are both Pueblo women was a key reason for the success, she said. part of the reason we want more Native American donors, because the matches are much Sanders said. individual that gets the transplant does so much But many Native Americans will not consider donating an organ, possibly because of traditional beliefs, Sanders said. Sanders frequently discusses organ donation at public events around New Mexico. She spoke about two years ago to about 30 people at an Indian Health Services office in Albuquerque.

who did not want to hear the information being presented either looked down or turned away from she said. About half the people in the room turned away while Sanders spoke. Sanders also registers organ donors each year at the Gathering of Nations Pow Wow. This year, she said, about 10 New Mexicans registered as donors, she said. people that stop by our table say basically (organ donation) is against their Sanders said.

The attitude is especially prevalent among New Mexicans, she said. Americans from other areas, such as the East Coast, are more willing to donate than Native Americans here in New Who donates? New Donate Life donor registry last year exceeded 1 million, meaning about half of New Mexicans have agreed to allow their organs and tissues to be harvested at the time of their deaths. The state Motor Vehicle Division does not track organ donors by ethnicity. But in McKinley County, where Native Americans make up about 75 percent of the population, only 18 percent of residents are registered as organ donors, Sanders said. A high proportion of Native Americans also have chronic health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure that would disqualify them as either organ donors or recipients, she said.

Value of community Singer, a professor of anthropology and Native American studies at the University of New Mexico, said she decided to speak publicly about her decision to donate her liver because she recognized the need for more Native Americans to consider donating an organ. Organ donation squares with traditional values of community that are too often overlooked by contemporary Native Americans, Singer said. think we live in a very self-centered community Singer said. She also wants people to know that donating an organ has improved her outlook on life and made her less critical of others. think that so worried about going to happen in the she said.

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PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is Pharmacy Quick and Handy Home based on fight from PAGE C1 Native organ donation encouraged from PAGE C1 Give migraine a nice, cold shake from PAGE C1 COURTESY PHOTO Reception among cancer survivors, especially young adults, has been positive for starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, left, and Seth Rogen. Simpson, Parrott St. Luke Lutheran Church in Albuquerque provided the setting on the afternoon of July 23 for the wedding ceremony uniting Margaret Nicole Simpson and Troy Robert Parrott. The bride is the daughter of Linda and Paul Kouts of Albuquerque.

The groom is the son of William and Cynthia Parrott of Albuquerque. Christina Tompkins served as maid of honor and Brian Parrott was the best man. The couple was also attended by their children, Hughie Simpson, Caleb Parrott and Cody Parrott. Margaret is a stay-at- home mom, and Troy is employed by ClingZ. The newlyweds honeymooned in St.

Maarten in the Caribbean. Saraceno, Patton Michelle Amber Saraceno became the bride of Erik Thomas Patton in a ceremony celebrated July 30 at Prairie Star in Bernalillo. The bride is the daughter of Bob and Debbie Saraceno of Albuquerque. Parents of the bridegroom are Vernon Krull of Hastings, and Beverly Patton of Albuquerque. Kim Saraceno, sister of the bride, served as maid of honor.

Nick Patton, brother of the groom, was best man. The newlyweds honeymooned on Waikiki Beach in Hawaii and will reside in Albuquerque. Barabe, Wallace Faith Lutheran Church in Albuquerque provided the setting for the double-ring wedding ceremony uniting Noelle Kristin Elizabeth Barabe and Christopher Thomas Wallace on June 25. The bride is the daughter of George and Lucy Barabe of Albuquerque. Parents of the groom are Tom and Sherry Wubbels of Albuquerque.

Katie C. Smith served as matron of honor and Kelly Kulifay was best man. The newlyweds honeymooned in Las Vegas, and will make their home in Albuquerque. Noelle works for Hotel Parq Central, and Christopher is employed by Anderson Business School at the University of New Mexico. Jacques, Corona Brittany Rae Jacques and Juan Eduardo Lopez Corona were united in marriage July 30.

The double-ring ceremony was celebrated at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Albuquerque. The bride is the daughter of Christine Jacques and Ron Bustos of Albuquerque. The groom is the son of Elena and Eduardo Lopez of Albuquerque. The couple was attended by Tiffany Blea, maid of honor; Joel Lopez, best man; and Charity Toledo and Gage Bustos. The newlyweds honeymooned in Las Vegas, and will reside in Albuquerque.

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