On June 26th, 2018, Flushing Hospital Medical Center (FHMC) collaborated with the Gift of Life Marrow Registry on hosting a Bone Marrow/Stem Cell “Swabbing” event in the hospital’s main lobby. The event was held to benefit Carolyn Inzirillo and all those waiting for a life-saving match. Tracey Kavanagh, RN, Department of Surgery, at FHMC was instrumental in organizing the day.
Carolyn Inzirillo has deep roots in the FHMC community, so it was an emphatic “YES!” when the hospital was asked to host a registry table. Both of Carloyn’s parents were FHMC employees before moving to Florida over 20 years ago. Her dad, Mike Inzirillo, was a Supervisor in Respiratory Care and her mom, Debbie (Sostack)Inzirillo, was a graduate of the Flushing Hospital School of Nursing and worked at Flushing Hospital in the ICU and Emergency Department.
Carolyn is a first-grade teacher in Florida. She is 34 years old and has been battling leukemia for four years. Due to a relapse in February 2018, Carolyn now requires a lifesaving stem cell transplant. Unfortunately, her only sibling is not a match and currently, there are no matches in the National Registry.
“Flushing Hospital Medical Center’s on-going commitment to boosting the numbers of donors in New York State made us a natural fit to host this important event.”, stated Robert Levine, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at FHMC.
Healthy volunteers between the ages of 18-60 from all ethnic backgrounds are encouraged to join the registry to help someone in need. A simple swab from the inside of your cheek is all it takes to determine if you are a match for Carolyn Inzirillo or someone else. Visit www.giftoflife.org/cure4carolyn to request a free swab kit. You can also call the Inzirillo’s family representative, Christine Sostack at 516-314-2893 if you have any questions.