video update on the music row bone marrow drive for joshua

music row magazine article on joshua

Musician Joshua Ragsdale is suffering from CML Leukemia and is in dire need of a bone marrow donor, which most often does not require surgery on the donor. Ragsdale, a songwriter and former Lyric Street artist, has been unable to find a match in the national bone marrow registry. Blood Assurance is organizing a blood drive and bone marrow match search at Christ The King Church (Belmont Blvd.) on Mon., Nov. 2 from 9 AM-2 PM. Seeing if someone is a bone marrow match is done by swabbing the inside of the mouth. If there is a match, the donation process is usually as simple as donating plasma.

To find out details or sign-up for the drive, e-mail joshuadonordrive@gmail.com with your name, phone, and if you will donate blood, test for marrow match or both.

Donations are being accepted at Joshua Ragsdale Benefit Fund, c/o Smith, Wiles, attn: Suzanne, 900 Division St, Nashville, 37203.

You can follow Josh’s story on his brother John Ragsdale’s blog johnrags.wordpress.com

click here for full story

how you can help joshua

i want to thank each of you
that have expressed a desire to help joshua
here is what we need

1. prayer
we are talking fervent effectual prayer

2. get tested
we are still searching for a bone marrow match
you can click below to go to read the previous post
are you a match?
you may not be a match for joshua
but you could be the lifesaver for someone just like joshua
someone that is also fighting for their life

3. give
joshua did not have medical insurance
so the medical bills are really piling up
joshua’s mananger bob titley
has stepped in to run point of figuring all of this out
he is a Godsend
bob has set up a fund where you can send donations
to help fight the medical bills
so joshua can focus on fighting leukemia
here is that info

mail
Joshua Ragsdale Benefit Fund
c/o Smith, Wiles
attn: Suzanne
900 Division St, Nashville, 37203

direct deposit
Regions Bank
acct# 0108552487

thank you so very much!

are you a match?

as you know we are praying for a bone marrow match for my brother
the doctors have told joshus that without a miracle from God
or a bone marrow match things do not look good
we are praying & believing for a complete
however we are also adding works to our faith
and asking everyone to get tested for a bone marrow match
in case this is how God decides to take care of the situation

i have found that many folks are afraid of this process
mainly because they are misinformed
we have found an informed advocate in ryan thompson
he was the recipient of a bone marrow transplant that saved his life
he also had the same doctor that joshua has now

here is an email that ryan sent out to some folks
asking them to get tested
i have asked ryan’s permission to use that email here
hope it answers any questions that you may have

I was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2002 and had a bone marrow transplant in 2004 that saved my life. Our Friend Emma Meyer has a friend named Joshua that was recently diagnosed with a late stage leukemia and he is in need of a bone marrow transplant. So far they have not been able to find him a donor match. I would like to pass on some information about how to get on the Bone Marrow registry and how much easier and less painful to be an actual donor it is these days. All you have to do is register at www.marrow.org and they will send you a home test kit. All that is required is a cheek saliva swab now instead of a blood test. You then send the kit back and you are registered to save a life!

As far as the actual donation process goes, it is also much easier than in the past. They used to take actual bone marrow from your hips and inject it into the person receiving the transplant. Now, the transplant only requires a blood transfusion type process where they harvest the stem cells from the donors blood. There is no recovery time necessary and there is little to no pain associated with being a donor. I hope that the you all can help raise awareness about how easy it is to become a donor and hopefully save some lives.

Thanks for your help, and God Bless!

Ryan Thompson

golfing with josh

joshua’s oncologist told him
that he was about to start some extensive treatment
and if there was anything he wanted to do
that he should do it right away
he said that he wanted to play golf with his big brother
here is some video of that experience

update on joshua

i want to thank many of you
for the encouraging messages regarding my little brother, joshua
3 weeks ago he was diagnosed with (CML) leukemia
and is in the blast crisis phase
we have been praying for complete healing
i want to thank you for praying with us

i received a call from my joshua today regarding his levels
the normal platelet level is 450,000
they need his to reach a minimum of 75,000
for them to proceed with his treatments
as of today, his platelets have gone from 19,000 to 50,000 on their own
this does not normally happen
joshua said that this is definitely because of prayer
thank you JESUS!
we grab hold of every bit of good news we can get!

we also need to see his gran level go from 600 to a minimum of 1500
and his white count to go from 1500 to 8000
please continue interceding for my little brother

my little brother’s keeper

as most of you know
my brother, joshua
has been diagnosed with (cml) leukemia
he is in the blast crisis phase

my sister, shi-anne and i were tested last week
to see if we would be a match to donate bone marrow
we got the news yesterday
that neither me nor shi-anne were a match

this was a punch in the gut
because i was ready
ready to give
ready to donate
ready to fight
for my brother

i know he is a grown man
but he is still my little brother
and i still want to do anything i can to take care of him

and now i find out that my marrow is not needed
my dna does not match
i feel hopeless

then they tell us that the cancer is increasing
i wish i could take cancer’s scrawny little neck in my hands &
show it what happens when you bully my little brother
but i can’t even do this
i feel helpless

then i remember
“the battle is the Lord’s”
and His blood works for every situation
and He can annihilate even unseen enemies

and so i fall down
and lay down my big brother title
and ask my Big Daddy to take up this fight
because He really is my little brother’s keeper

many of you have asked how you can help

1. we need you to pray
i mean cry out to God

2. medical expenses
there is an fund being set up to help with joshua’s medical expenses
i will get you that info as soon as it is available

3. bone marrow donation
www.marrow.org is the site to visit to see if you’re a match
they will send you a kit
you swab your mouth
send it back
they type your marrow and put it in the bank.

media convergence

those of you who know me
or have heard me speak
know that the word convergence
is a word that i use a lot
as a matter of fact
we will soon be launching
a new facet of our ministry
that will be called cnvrg (more info & details on that soon)

i came across this very informative video
on the present convergence of media
this is not just where we are going
it is where we are…

my little brother

my little brother, joshua
has always been my big buddy
we are eight years apart
and i always felt it was my duty to care for him
i taught him to walk
to tie his shoes
i would pick his clothes out and label them for the right day
i and tuck him in at night

however…
while i was teaching him
he was teaching me as well
ever since he was little i have called him my hero
his creativity amazes me
his humor as quick as anyone i know
and he has never been scared to be the first to try anything

once again
joshua is leading the way
last monday he went to the emergency room thinking
he had a broken rib
only to diagnosed with cml leukemia

needless to say
it was a shock to all of us
but joshua handled it like a true southern gentleman
he has been his usual strong, witty & encouraging self
he is doing much better
as of today his white blood count
has gone from 460,000 (8,000-12,000 is normal) to 19,000
he still has a long way to go
but with his great attitude
wonderful medical staff
and an all powerful God
he will come through this with a powerful testimony

i am asking each of you to join me
and pray for my little brother

jrm update – big spring, tx

we love the folks in big spring, tx
we love the folks at life church in big spring, tx
and we love the pastors of life church in big spring, tx
clint & kami collins are so dear to us
our entire family was just with them for a weekend
we had a wonderful time

what they have done in that city is incredible
from starting in a funeral home
and calling it “life church”
to beginning a beautification project
in deserted downtown
to opening a coffee shop/cafe in downtown
that would become “the place” in big spring
to taking an entire city block
and renovating a historic school
into an amazing ministry campus
all the while reaching & loving each person
that God sends them
as you can tell
we are fans!

check out this video
we shot after sunday service
[excuse my excessive gum chomping - i had some bad "breaf"]
also go check out life church in big spring, tx
www.golifechurch.com