Founders View:

“I DON’T LIKE BASEBALL.” NOW, I KNOW THIS IS WHERE I AM SUPPOSED TO EXAGGERATE ABOUT HOW DETAILED ORIENTED AND PUNCTUAL I CAN BE. INSTEAD I AM GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU WHAT A WISE MAN ONCE TOLD ME. HE SAID, “JUST BE YOURSELF AND ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH.” SO I HAVE DECIDED TO SHARE WITH YOU, WHO I AM AND WHAT I AM ABOUT. I WANT TO EXPRESS TO YOU THAT I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT ALL HEALTHCARE ISSUES IN PARTICULAR, ISSUES THAT PERTAIN TO MINORITY POPULATIONS. FOR SOME REASON, THIS IS WHERE I LOOSE MOST PEOPLE. IT IS A FACT THAT ILLNESS AND DISEASE DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE. ILLNESS AND DISEASE CAN BRING OUT THE BEST AND THE WORST IN PEOPLE AT A TIME WHEN LOVE AND COMPASSION IS NEEDED THE MOST. I AM ALSO PASSIONATE ABOUT BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER FOR THE COMMON GOOD. I KNOW THAT BY USING THE MOST POWERFUL TOOL IN THE WORLD, “THE MEDIA,” WE CAN EDUCATE, ENTERTAIN AND PERSUADE PEOPLE INTO LIVING A HEALTHIER, MORE FULFILLING AND MEANINGFUL EXISTENCE. THAT WAS THE INITIAL IMPETUS FOR ME CREATING COME TOGETHER MEDIA COMPANY. I AM A MARKETER THAT LOVES TELLING STORIES. I ENJOY HELPING TO GET A MESSAGE ACROSS TO A SPECIFIC TARGET AUDIENCE AND ACHIEVING MEASURABLE RESULTS, THAT’S WHAT I STRIVE FOR. I AM TRULY FULFILLED WHEN THE MESSAGE THAT I AM DELIVERING ACHIEVES MEASURABLE RESULT THAT LITERALLY SAVES A LIFE. NO FEELING IS BETTER.

THE REASON WHY I STARTED OFF WITH THE STATEMENT ABOUT BASEBALL IS BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER EVEN ATTENDED A MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL GAME BUT FOR SOME REASON, MY ENTIRE PERSPECTIVE OF LIFE WAS CHANGED BY A BASEBALL PLAYER’S STORY.

JUST IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO BE THE PARENT OF A 17 YEAR OLD AND TO BE TOLD THAT YOUR CHILD HAS A RARE FORM OF CANCER AND HER ONLY HOPE IS A BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT? THEN YOU ARE TOLD THAT CAUCASIAN AMERICANS ONLY HAVE AN 80% CHANCE OF FIND A BONE MARROW MATCH. AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE A 12% CHANCE OF FINDING A MATCH BUT IF YOU OF A BI RACIAL BACKGROUND YOUR CHANCES OF FINDING A MATCH ARE EVEN LOWER. WELL THAT IS WHAT THE STATS WERE AND MAY NOT HAVE EVEN BEEN THAT PROMISING IN 1995.

THE BASEBALL PLAYER THAT I MENTIONED IS ROD CAREW AND HE WAS GIVEN THAT DEVASTATING NEWS IN SEPTEMBER 1995. CAREW'S YOUNGEST DAUGHTER FROM HIS FIRST MARRIAGE, MICHELLE, WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ACUTE MYELOID LEUKEMIA, A RELATIVELY RARE LEUKEMIA FOR A YOUNG PERSON. DOCTORS WANTED TO PERFORM A BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT, BUT MICHELLE'S RARE ETHNIC HERITAGE COMPLICATED THE SEARCH FOR A MATCHING DONOR; HER FATHER IS BLACK WITH WEST INDIAN AND PANAMANIAN ROOTS AND HER MOTHER WAS OF RUSSIAN-JEWISH ANCESTRY. CAREW PLEADED FOR THOSE OF SIMILAR ETHNIC BACKGROUND TO COME FORWARD. WHEN NO MATCHING BONE MARROW DONOR WAS FOUND, AN UMBILICAL CORD BLOOD TRANSPLANT WAS PERFORMED IN MARCH 1996. MICHELLE DIED ON APRIL 17, 1996 AT THE AGE OF 18. A STATUE OF HER HAS BEEN INSTALLED IN ANGEL STADIUM OF ANAHEIM.

I LOVE THAT OUR COUNTRY IS SO DIVERSE. I LOVE THE FACT THAT PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS ARE ABLE TO LOVE, MARRY AND HAVE FAMILIES WITH THEIR SOUL MATES OPEN AND FREELY. WE CAN’T LET THAT LOVE BE FRIGHTENED AWAY BY FEAR MONGERS. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AMAZED AT THE STRENGTH AND COURAGE OF PEOPLE THAT ARE VERY ILL. MICHELLE’S STRENGTH INSPIRED THOSE OF US THAT WATCHED AS SHE HOPED FOR A MATCH. SHE DID IT WITH THE GRACE OF AN ADULT.

I DON’T KNOW ROD CAREW, NEVER EVEN SEEN HIM PLAY, OTHER THAN HIGHLIGHT FILMS, BUT HIS STORY INSPIRED ME THEN AND CONTINUES TO NOW. I LOVE HOW HE USED HIS PLATFORM TO INFORM PEOPLE OF HIS DAUGHTER’S VERY PERSONAL STRUGGLE AS HE PLEADED WITH THE COUNTRY TO JOIN THE BONE MARROW REGISTRY. BONE MARROW DRIVES WERE OFFERED IN VISITING STADIUMS THAT HE PLAYED AT. HE GAVE TIRELESSLY THEN AND STILL WORKS HARD TO INCREASE THE BONE MARROW REGISTRY WITH PEOPLE OF COLOR BUT WE STILL HAVE THOSE DEVASTATINGLY LOW PERCENTAGES TO DEAL WITH. YOU MAY BE SURPRISED TO KNOW THAT THIS WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE A STORY ABOUT BONE MARROW DRIVES BUT THE HUMAN SPIRIT. THAT LOVE CONQUERS ALL. YOU SEE ROD USED ALL OF HIS GOD GIVEN TALENT AND HIS AMAZING PLATFORM TO GET THE WORD OUT TO THE MASSES. HE USED “THE MEDIA” TO HIS ADVANTAGE WITH EXPERTISE. FRIENDS, FAMILY AND FANS WERE COMPELLED TO HELP. PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS JOINED THE STRUGGLE AND ALTHOUGH THEY WERE UNABLE TO SAVE ROD’S DAUGHTER, MANY LIVE WERE SAVED DUE TO HIS PASSIONATE UNSELFISH PLEA. THAT’S THE HUMAN SPIRIT. I AM PASSIONATE AND I WANT TO WORK WITH PASSIONATE PEOPLE. I AM ALL IN WHEN IT COMES TO HELPING BRANDS ACHIEVE ALL OF THEIR GOALS, BUT I AM TRULY INTERESTED IN SURROUNDING MYSELF WITH THOSE WHO VALUE IMPROVING THE WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE. PEOPLE THAT LOVE FREELY AND GIVE UNCONDITIONALLY. I WANT TO BE INSPIRED…. INSPIRE ME.