A small group of families of kids with Primary Immunodeficiency Disease have been working hard to encourage blood donations as well as to provide support for those afflicted with this rare condition.

According to Stefani Bush, one of the founders of Team Hope, "At some point you realize it's not just about us. We need to look at the greater picture. These kids' lives depend on volunteer blood donors."

Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases, or PID, are disorders in which part of the body's immune system is missing or does not function properly. In contrast to secondary immune deficiency dises, in which the immune system is compromised by factors outside the immune system such as viruses or chemotherapy, the primary immune deficiency diseases are caused by intrinsic or genetic defects in the immune system.

Team Hope was created by individuals whose lives are affected by Primary Immunodeficiency Disease. It is dedicated to raising awareness, funding, and support for those with Primary Immunodeficiency Disease in the New England area. Team Hope proudly supports and works in conjunction with the Immune Deficiency Foundation and supports their vision of empowerment through education, advocacy, and the promise of a cure through raising funds for research. Their slogan is "It Takes One Person To Change One Life. Be The One."

Team Hope has also been working with the Red Cross in Massachusetts to raise awareness about the ongoing need for blood and the importance of regular blood donation by organizing and hosting community blood drives on a regular basis. Most individuals afflicted with this disease receive weekly infusions of gamma globulin replacements therapy, a product derived from human blood. Their lives depend on this lifelong regimen of weekly infusions, which keep patients from ongoing infections and chronic lung issues and helps build up the immune system.

Stefani has worked hard to coordinate these very successful blood drives. "The gamma globulin has made a 100% difference in my childrens' lives. They don't get sick so much anymore and can have more or less normal lives."

Still, this illness can be all encompassing, with countless doctor's appointments and ever present anxiety on the part of the parents. Speaking of Team Hope, she says, "It's nice to be in this together and provide information and advice to those who are newly diagnosed."

For more information about upcoming Team Hope blood drives and fundraising events, visit www.teamhope.info/events.html.

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