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June 01. 2012 9:13PM
Melissa Burleson, waitress at Sawyer's Main Street Breakfast, is the first to complete the registration process at a new bone marrow donation kiosk installed at the restaurant Thursday. Kathy Remillard, Correspondent NH Union Leader/Sunday News (603) 529-6159 k-rem@comcast.net (KATHY REMILLARD)
Chance meeting leads to bone marrow drive
Melissa Burleson, waitress at Sawyer's Main Street Breakfast, is the first to complete the registration process at a new bone marrow donation kiosk installed at the restaurant Thursday. Kathy Remillard, Correspondent NH Union Leader/Sunday News (603) 529-6159 k-rem@comcast.net (KATHY REMILLARD)
GOFFSTOWN — Those enjoying Old Home Day festivities Saturday will have an opportunity to participate in a bone marrow drive, to be held at Putnam's Waterview Restaurant.
Beginning at 10 a.m., a tent will be set up on the front lawn of the restaurant owned by John and Patti Putnam, so visitors can do a quick swab on the inside of their cheeks and fill out a registration form to become part of an international registry for bone marrow donation.
Patti Putnam agreed to host the drive after meeting Michael Guglielmo at a recent open house at Cold Springs RV.
Guglielmo is the father of the little boy who's become known across New Hampshire and beyond as “Baby Giovanni,” who died on April 16 at the age of 5. A stem cell transplant extended his short life, and Guglielmo has made it his mission to get as many people as possible onto the registry.
“It was three weeks after his son died, and there he was, doing this bone marrow drive,” Putnam said. “I was in awe.”
A mother of five, Putnam said Guglielmo's passion to educate people about bone marrow donation was inspiring.
“As a parent, it hits you in the heart,” she said. “He's gone so much further than most would be able to.”
Putnam has set a fairly high goal for Saturday's event.
“I would love to be able to add 100 people to the registry,” she said.
For those who can't make Saturday's drive, Putnam has committed to continue registering possible donors long after Saturday's event.
A self-service kiosk was installed Thursday at Putnam's second restaurant, Sawyer's Main Street Breakfast, which will allow people to get more information about bone marrow donation and begin the registration process online.
With an average of 700 customers coming through a week, Putnam hopes the traffic going by the kiosk will increase the number of registrants.
It's the sixth kiosk to be installed in the state, with the most recent installation at Manchester Harley-Davidson two weeks ago.
Guglielmo said plans are in the works to put them at the Steeplegate Mall in Concord, Merchant's Auto in Manchester, and Robert's Laundry in Belmont, which was Giovanni's hometown.
“The kiosks can bring in thousands of bone marrow donations,” Guglielmo said.
According to Guglielmo, the kiosks offer an additional means to get marrow donors, in addition to live drives and the website getswabbed.org.
Guglielmo said that even though Giovanni is gone, he will continue to educate the public about bone marrow donation in his son's honor.
“I started doing this to save my son, but it's become almost my calling,” he said. “The only thing I have left is his legacy.”
Beginning at 10 a.m., a tent will be set up on the front lawn of the restaurant owned by John and Patti Putnam, so visitors can do a quick swab on the inside of their cheeks and fill out a registration form to become part of an international registry for bone marrow donation.
Patti Putnam agreed to host the drive after meeting Michael Guglielmo at a recent open house at Cold Springs RV.
Guglielmo is the father of the little boy who's become known across New Hampshire and beyond as “Baby Giovanni,” who died on April 16 at the age of 5. A stem cell transplant extended his short life, and Guglielmo has made it his mission to get as many people as possible onto the registry.
“It was three weeks after his son died, and there he was, doing this bone marrow drive,” Putnam said. “I was in awe.”
A mother of five, Putnam said Guglielmo's passion to educate people about bone marrow donation was inspiring.
“As a parent, it hits you in the heart,” she said. “He's gone so much further than most would be able to.”
Putnam has set a fairly high goal for Saturday's event.
“I would love to be able to add 100 people to the registry,” she said.
For those who can't make Saturday's drive, Putnam has committed to continue registering possible donors long after Saturday's event.
A self-service kiosk was installed Thursday at Putnam's second restaurant, Sawyer's Main Street Breakfast, which will allow people to get more information about bone marrow donation and begin the registration process online.
With an average of 700 customers coming through a week, Putnam hopes the traffic going by the kiosk will increase the number of registrants.
It's the sixth kiosk to be installed in the state, with the most recent installation at Manchester Harley-Davidson two weeks ago.
Guglielmo said plans are in the works to put them at the Steeplegate Mall in Concord, Merchant's Auto in Manchester, and Robert's Laundry in Belmont, which was Giovanni's hometown.
“The kiosks can bring in thousands of bone marrow donations,” Guglielmo said.
According to Guglielmo, the kiosks offer an additional means to get marrow donors, in addition to live drives and the website getswabbed.org.
Guglielmo said that even though Giovanni is gone, he will continue to educate the public about bone marrow donation in his son's honor.
“I started doing this to save my son, but it's become almost my calling,” he said. “The only thing I have left is his legacy.”
