Kris’s diagnosis—Transformed Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (CTCL)—is extremely rare, and there is only one known treatment: a stem cell and bone marrow transplant. At this time, there is no known match for Kris in the National Marrow Donor Registry, so we need your help and prayers to find a donor.
Be The Match®: Join the National Marrow Donor Program Today
If you are between the ages of 18 and 60, in good health and willing to donate to any patient in need, please join the National Marrow Donor Program. You may not be a match for Kris, but there are thousands of patients with blood cancers who are looking for a match to save their lives. That match could be you.
It is incredibly easy to join the registry, and you can complete the entire process online and at home. Here’s how it works:
- Join Online. Register at http://join.marrow.org/krisminer. You’ll provide your contact information and complete a simple health evaluation survey to confirm that you meet basic registry guidelines.
- Complete the In-Home Registration Kit. You will receive a kit by mail within a few days of joining the registry online. All you have to do is swab your inner cheek four times and return the kit in the mail (postage paid).
That’s it. The National Marrow Donor Program will tissue type the samples you provide and use the results to potentially match you to patients in needs. According to the Be The Match website, on average, one in every 540 members of the Be The Match registry in the United States will go on to donate bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells to a patient.
For an overview of the donation process, watch this video:
For complete FAQs on joining the registry, visit http://marrow.org/Join/FAQs_about_Joining.aspx.
Other Ways You Can Help
If you cannot join the National Marrow Donor Registry, you can still help to find bone marrow donors for patients like Kris. Consider these opportunities:
- Pray for Donors to Come Forward. Please pray for Kris and all other patients who are in need of a bone marrow or stem cell transplant. Pray that people will be made aware of the need to donate and that their hearts will lead them to register as a willing donor.
- Ask Your Friends and Family to Join the Registry. You can help to spread the word about the need for donors. Tell your friends and family about the opportunity to join the National Marrow Donor Registry, and consider posting the opportunity to your broad social network through sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
- Donate to the National Marrow Donor Program. According to the Be The Match website, the average cost to add a new member to the registry is about $100. You can help cover these costs so new donors can join free of charge. To make a donation, visit https://secure2.convio.net/marrow/site/SPageNavigator/Donation_home_secure.
- Participate in a Be The One Run. If you’re a runner or walker, you can take part in a Be The One Run in cities all over the country. These events raise funds to support transplant research, help patients with uninsured costs and grow the Be The Match marrow donor registry. Lear more at http://www.bethematchfoundation.org/site/PageNavigator/BTOR_Global_home.
Kris Miner 
I am a friend of Nancy’s. Just ran the half with her and Bob last weekend in Madison! I just signed up on the national registry. Hope I am your match!
Katie Priske
I am a friend of Nancy’s. I just ran the half with Bob and her in Madison last weekend! I just registered on the National registry. Hoping I am your match!
Katie Priske
Kris….I attempted to sign up to see if I’m your match as a donor, but I have diabetes, so I’m not eligible. I’m sorry I can’t be tested but I promise to spread the word so those who are eligible can see if they can be a donor. God bless you as you endure this process. We will be praying for you and your family.
Theresa Hildreth – Rockwell City
Just registered. Got the link from Sarah Wood (@hidama) on Twitter. If I can’t be a match for you, maybe I can help someone else 🙂
I am from Iowa originally where the dutch settled two colonies Pella, and Orange City, Iowa. Next to these communities are also German Communities and over time many individuals are Dutch/German. My mother was full dutch, so I am 1/2 dutch and I married a 1/2 german, for example. Maybe a person could go to the Dutch communities in Orange City, Iowa and Pella and ask for individuals to be tested who are willing. This is just a suggestion.
Ha! I just sent a request to people I know in Pella at Central College and asked them to spread the word and sign up to become donors. I hope it will bear some positive responses and maybe a match.
Kris,
I don’t know you but I just registered and am praying for you and your family.
Kris,
I am sorry, but I do not meet the criteria for trying to be a donor. I have sent information from your page to all my email friends. I will pray for you to find a donor asap!
Saw your story on KCCI a local Des Moines station, as others have commented Pella has a considerable amount of Dutch and German descendants. Pella Regional Hosptial may be of help too. Praying for you Kris, that you will find a donor in our community Pella. God Bless.
One of my closest friends (of 35 years) has this illness and her chemo has also not worked well enough to put her in remission in order to have the stem cell transplant which she thought would happen in July. Because of this especially, I noticed your story on KMBC last night and immediately went to the registry information site only to find that I do not qualify to donate. I was thinking about things that might help and wonder if you have considered the following: contact any colleges that you think are in geographic areas where you might find potential matches – even in summer they may have some form of communication vehicle with students/alumni; advertise on craigslist in any cities or in other countries where you might find the right ethnic heritage – there’s no appropriate section exactly on craigslist, but you could possibly use WANTED under the For Sale/Wanted section; ask KMBC to edit the video from last night, possibly adding more pictures of your children or a family picture(s) with your husband’s interview portion, and ask their permission to put this on youtube then ask everyone you know to put the link on facebook with the hope/plan to make it go viral in order to spread the word. Just some ideas . . . I wish you and your family well.
I saw this story on KCTV5 and gladly signed up.I also shared on my facebook account,with my co-workers, friends and family. I do not know Kris but believe that life is precious and beautiful. I would be honored to help and will continue to share and pray.
My duaghter is a Sr. at SMS this year. I have signed up on line and also made a donation for anyone who can and want to make a donation. I will be there tonight for a swab or two. My prayers are with you and your family.
Dear Kris, I thought you would like to know that stacy and I sent off for our kits today. I hope that we will be able to help you and you are in our prayers. Love from your cousin, Chadwick Callenius
Kris – I’m so happy to let you know that I received the approval I needed to have a donor drive at my place of business (Zurich in Overland Park). I have a meeting Monday to get the ball rolling! We are a large Company with lots of people! Praying for a match!
Kathy,
Thank you so much for organizing a donor drive. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if and how I can help. – Ken Miner
Ken,
Happy to do it! We have the date set for 7/18/12 from 10:30-2:00 at Zurich in Overland Park.
I can’t donate because i lived in England for 9 years, but i posted on my Facebook page.
Kris,
Kelli L. told me about you this weekend. I’ve signed up to receive the kit. The site said I should receive the kit in about 2 weeks. Do you have another drive before then?
Rick
Kris, We just want you to know our family are now members of the National Marrow Donor Program…anything we can do to try to help! Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Tom, Jodi, Taylor and Danny Lamping