It’s a terrible thing to lose a child. When 20-year-old Torry Yahn made her final request “Mom, find out why” to her mother JoAnn, there was only one thing left to do. JoAnn took her grief and turned it into an advocacy effort that has raised over $375,000 for bone marrow failure bone marrow failure: A condition that occurs when the bone marrow stops making enough healthy blood cells. The most common of these rare diseases are aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). Bone marrow failure can be acquired (begin any time in life) or can be… disease research.
Torry started to complain of headaches when she was 16. As things got worse, tests revealed she suffered from aplastic anemia aplastic anemia: (ay-PLASS-tik uh-NEE_mee-uh) A rare and serious condition in which the bone marrow fails to make enough blood cells - red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The term aplastic is a Greek word meaning not to form. Anemia is a condition that happens when red blood cell count is low. Most… . After four years of treatments, medications and blood transfusions blood transfusions: A blood transfusion is a safe and common procedure. Most people who have a bone marrow failure disease like aplastic anemia, MDS or PNH will receive at least one blood transfusion. When you receive a blood transfusion, parts of blood from a donor are put into your bloodstream. This can help some… , Torry received a bone-marrow transplant in February 1998. Two months later she died.
JoAnn immediately became active with AA&MDSIF. Along with her husband, Don, the Yahns established the Torry Yahn Research Fund and organized an event near their Churchville, NY home to raise money.
2013 marked the 15th annual Chicken Barbecue and Auction.