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5 Things You Need To Know Today: Feb. 12 [Video]

Framingham History Center presents Be Swift My Soul: A Civil War Salon featuring Libby Franck as Julia Ward Howe, on the campus of Framingham State University at the Heineman Ecumenical & Cultural Center from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Our daily column, 5 Things You Need to Know Today, will help you to get your day started and offer you some fodder for water cooler conversation. 1.State Rep. Chris Walsh will be the guest speaker at Temple Beth Sholom's Brotherhood breakfast at 9:30 a.m. Tickets $8, and includes a breakfast buffet 2. There is a bone marrow drive today at Temple Israel in Natick for Framingham resident and Brophy Elementary library aide Terry Levin. A second drive will be held at Brophy Elementary on Monday. 3. Framingham History Center presents Be Swift My Soul: A Civil War Salon featuring Libby Franck as Julia Ward Howe, on the campus of Framingham State University at the Heineman Ecumenical & Cultural Center from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Howe's many famous …

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Bone Marrow Drives Scheduled for Brophy Elementary Library Aide

Brophy Elementary School and Temple Beth Am Hebrew School are rallying around Framingham resident Terry Levin, 60, who has leukemia and is in need of a bone marrow transplant.

Brophy Elementary School library aide Terry Levin, recently diagnosed with acute myelogenic leukemia, is in need of a bone marrow transplant. Acute myelogenic leukemia is cancer of the blood and bone marrow, according to the National cancer Institute. Levin, 60, will be undergoing chemotherapy over the next few weeks and then will need a transplant. At this time, she does not have a bone marrow match. Two drives have been scheduled:   "If you are willing to volunteer to see if you are a match, please attend one of the drives. It is my understanding that the test is simply a cheek swab to see if you are a match," wrote Brophy Principal Frank Rothwell in an email to the school community. For a dozen years, Levin has been working at Brophy …

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Framingham High Student Kristie Vazquez Dies of Leukemia

Framingham High student Kristie Vazquez died Thanksgiving night of Acute myelogenous leukemia; the community held a bone marrow drive for her earlier this year.

Framingham High student Kristie Vazquez died Thanksgiving night, Nov. 24 of leukemia. Vazquez, an active member of her youth group at St. Stephen's Church, was diagnosed Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in November 2010, after discovering a lump on her neck in October. Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is a fast-growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow. In January, hundreds of people attend a bone marrow drive for Kristie at St. Stephen's Church. Kristie, 15, is survived by her mom Haydee, who works at Brandeis University in Waltham, her dad Orlando, who works at Covidien, and younger siblings Danny, a student at Walsh Middle, and Kimberly, at student at Framingham High. Haydee and Orlando greeted every indivudual who offered to be …

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Hundreds Attend Bone Marrow Drive for Youth Group President

A spokesperson from the National Marrow Donor Program said yesterday's turnout was "impressive." He said it will take 4-6 weeks to know if the drive identified a match for the Framingham High freshman who has leukemia.

Haydee and Orlando Vazquez greeted everyone who walked through the doors of St. Stephen's Parish Hall yesterday afternoon.  They recognized many of the faces that came to the table with red and white balloons. Some hugged Haydee. Some people they met for the very first time. Some told the couple stories of how they know their daughter Kristie. But, everyone came just to help. Haydee and Orlando's oldest daughter Kristie was diagnosed with leukemia in November 2010. She is in need of a bone marrow transplant. Yesterday, hundreds of parishioners and MetroWest residents came to be tested, to see if they were a match for the Framingham High freshman. "This is an impressive turnout," said Christopher Mulcahy, a spokesperson with the National …

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Bone Marrow Drive Sunday to Find Match for Framingham High Freshman Kristie Vazquez

Consider being a bone marrow donor, by attending the drive tomorrow (Sunday), Jan. 9 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at St. Stephen's Church. It takes just a few minutes for a mouth swab to be taken.

When school started last fall Kristie Vazquez was like many other high school freshman. She liked to go to the movie with her friends and her siblings. She enjoyed playing video games. She loved playing wii at home with her family and friends. But in October 2010, she discovered a lump on her neck. One of her lymph nodes was infected and swollen. Her mom took her to the family pediatrician. Kristie was given some medication. But a week later, there was no change. "I knew something wasn't right," Haydee Vazquez, Kristie's mom, said in a telephone interview this morning. "They drew blood and said they needed to do tests." On Nov. 2, the diagnosis came back - leukemia. Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), to be specific.  Kristie started …

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Bone Marrow Drive Sunday for Framingham High Freshman

A bone marrow drive will be held at St. Stephen's Church from 12 to 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 9.

A bone marrow drive is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 9 at St. Stephen's Church for Kristie Vazquez, a freshman at Framingham High School. Kristie has been diagnosed with leukemia and is currently receiving treatment at Children's Hospital in Boston. Her parents, with the help of the National Marrow Donor, will hold the drive at  St. Stephen's Church, 221 Concord St., from 12 to 1:30 p.m. To participate, you must be between the ages of 18 and 60 and be willing to have a mouth swab taken. Kristie has a sister and a brother at Walsh Middle School.

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