You are cordially invited to spend an "Evening Under the Stars" benefiting the Thalassemia Program at Children's Hospital & Research Center at Oakland. Dinner will be served and we invite you to participate in our raffle and silent auction where all proceeds generated tonight will go towards the Thalassemia Program's efforts to support medical research, educational and psychosocial programs for patients and families, medical costs, and community outreach and education. A celestial show in the Planetarium will conclude tonight's events.
The Thalassemia Program at Children's Hospital & Research Center at Oakland is the only outreach program of its kind in the nation. We educate the public about this genetic blood disorder at local schools, health fairs, blood drives, and teach a DeCal (which is a student-led class) at UC Berkeley to educate pre-health and pre-med students about this condition.
Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder that causes severe anemia. In order to stay alive, people with thalassemia are required to receive blood transfusions every 2-4 weeks for life and as a result of frequent blood transfusions they are at risk for iron overload which may cause organ damage, diabetes, and premature death. To prevent the serious complications or iron toxicity, patients must undergo chelation therapy by using a medication that removes excess iron from the body. This therapy is done through an infusion of medication via a pump that is attached to a needle which is placed in the abdomen. A patient must wear this pump 5-7 days a week for a 12-20 hour period. Alternative to the pump are oral medications, however the medications available have serious side effects. As you can imagine, compliance with this intense medical regimen is a challenge.
Cost: Payment required - Patient/Student: $50/person Individual: $85/person ($100 at the door) Couple: $160/couple ($175 at the door) Groups: $80/person (Parties of 4 or more will need to be paid in advance). If you would like to donate an item to the silent auction or would like to make a monetary donation, please make the check payable to "Children's Hospital Foundation" with "Thalassemia" in the subject line and contact Laurice Levine at
[email protected].