Bernie Gundel, 91, of Fontanelle, and formerly of Le Mars, passed on to be with his Lord Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2022, after medical issues causing a brief stay at the Greenfield Rehabilitation and.
Dozens Come Out to Help 5-Year-Old With Leukemia in New Haven
Jackie, though, is facing a very difficult battle. In December, she was diagnosed with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML); it is a rare form of leukemia. Since the diagnosis, life has been incredibly challenging for the Erbs.
“It’s been a very crazy last month or so that we’ve gotten through,” explained Brian Erb. “Kind of unimaginable.”
Jackie is undergoing chemotherapy to slow the growth but, unfortunately, that will not be a cure. She needs a bone marrow transplant.
“With (JMML), chemotherapy doesn’t seem to work so the bone marrow transplant is the only option for her,” explained Jackie’s uncle, Christopher Erb, who is a medical doctor with Yale New Haven Health.
Morristown Daily Record
More than 1,100 people lined up at Chatham High School on Saturday to see if they could be the match needed to help save a little girl s life.
The School District of the Chathams and the Chatham Education Association PRIDE committee hosted a bone marrow donor drive at the high school to support Jackie Erb, the 5-year-old daughter of Brian Erb, a special education teacher in the district.
Gabrielle Morales, a community engagement specialist with Be The Match, called the turnout amazing, and said she s never had a drive with a response like Saturday s.
More than 500 people came out within the first three hours of the donor drive to see if they were a potential match for Jackie, said Morales. Participants were met at their cars by school staff members who explained how to do the cheek swab.