An Oxford artist who suffers from a rare bone marrow disease found a bone marrow donor after waiting 11 years and shares the importance of being a donor and how it can drastically change a person’s life.
Pam Locke is a free lance graphic artist and painter with a strong religious background. Locke said in her paintings she likes to capture the pretty moments because she knows she can never create like God does, but she can at least mimic what He has created for us.
“I really like creating stuff, or making messes is usually what I call it,” she said. “You’re painting a memory.”
Locke said her family is everything to her. She said they are very supportive, kind and they always keep her on her toes. She has two sons, Daniel, who graduated from The University of Mississippi, and Nathan, who goes to Mississippi State.
“They keep me jumping and keep me guessing,” Locke said.
Locke said even her husband Martin is a great supporter since he puts up with her mess-making, because having a creative wife can be difficult at times.
“You come home thinking supper is going to be on the table, but she’s got a painting spread out all over the dining room table,” Martin Locke said.
Pam Locke said these paintings are important to her because they remind her that God’s hands are in control even though life seems out of control. Painting gives her a chance to show the real beauty that surrounds us even in a chaotic world, and this was especially true when it came to her illness.
Locke’s mother suffered from a disorder called essential thrombocytosis, and her mother encouraged her to get tested for the same disorder. Locke said it was not a disorder that would pass genetically but about 11 years ago she tested positive due to a weird coincidence. As a result of the disorder, Locke was making up to about 600,000 blood platelets where a typical person makes about 300-600.
“I’m unique,” Locke laughed.
Essential thrombocytosis eventually develops into milo fibrosis which means a person cannot produce enough blood cells and becomes very anemic. This can eventually develop into acute miloid leukemia if the individual cannot find a bone marrow donor that matches.
Locke said when she found out about her diagnosis she knew it would eventually develop into milo fibrosis, and it definitely worried her.
“All the wind sucked out of the room,” she said. “You’re going through your daily life and everything’s fine, then all of a sudden you’re special in a way you really don’t want to be special.”
The cutoff age to receive a transplant is 60-65 years of age. Locke is 57.
Locke said when they first do tests for a bone marrow match they test your siblings, and she only has one brother who was a five out of 10 match. She needed a 10 out of 10.
Martin Locke said when he found out about her diagnosis, they had to get used to the idea of her illness and be aware of what treatments would be involved and the risk that comes with each treatment.
“We were disheartened, but we were looking at the next step,” he said. “We’re doing this together.”
According to Pam Locke, 17 different people have been tested to see if they were a bone marrow donor match. Initially, these donors looked like a match, but during the deeper tests, the results were not successful.
“I turned it over to the Lord,” she said. “It was in his hands.”
Locke discussed how there are alternative ways to receive a donor and one is through umbilical cord blood and the other is from an unrelated donor transplant. With these alternatives the match does not have to be perfect in order for it to be a match for a transplant.
Locke received news on Sept. 6 that a match had been found.
“They called me last Friday and they had found a match and it’s nine out of 10,” she said.
Locke said she could not believe they had found a match especially one that was almost a perfect one.
“I’ve been waiting almost a year,” she said. “I didn’t realize how excited I would be about it because I kind of got used to waiting.”
Daniel Locke said it was a great feeling and that a huge burden they were carrying was lifted.
“There was a lot of joy with a lot of jumping,” he said.
Pam Locke said because they found a match she and her husband no longer have to commute back and forth to Vanderbilt hospital.
Once the procedure is done she will have to live near the facility for 100 days in order to undergo tests to ensure the transplant is working.
Locke said her life turned into a big whirlwind by trying to get everything ready for the move. Daniel lives in Nashville so he will be able to be with her whenever she needs him. Locke said this is just another step in the process and wants her family to stay strong.
“It’ll all work out in the end, its just one day at a time,” she said. “Just hang in there.”
The entire Locke family discussed how important it is for people to be on the donor list. In order to be a donor you have to be between the ages of 18-44. A national database called bethematch.org will send you a simple cheek swab that you send back to be tested. Once you are tested you are entered into the database.
Nathan Locke stressed that every day you are not registered in the database is another missed opportunity.
“If you’re willing to be a donor and you’re not registered it’s another day and another missed opportunity for people like my mom,” Nathan Locke said.
Daniel Locke said becoming a marrow donor is such an easy process but it can impact a family’s life immensely.
“It’s so easy to do such a small thing to change someone’s life in such a big way,” Daniel Locke said. “Even if you don’t get a call to be a donor you’ve done your part.”
Pam Locke said that being a bone marrow donor is no longer as painful or intrusive as it has been in the past. She said it is now similar to donating blood, making it easier to be a donor.
She also said donating marrow gives young people the opportunity to help save lives.
“There are people, especially small children that need transplants and they have their whole life ahead of them,” she said. “They would like to just get old enough to get to go to college, get old enough to get to go to prom, get old enough to marry and to live the rest of their lives.”
