Pritchard Windsurfing

 Hi everyone,

I'm sending this out to help a windsurfing friend of mine that needs to get a message out that might save her sister Viet's life.  My friend is Linh Lam who helped me out with my broken legs and I've gotten to know her through the windsurfing clinics I teach in Baja.  Linh herself is one of those people you meet that amaze you with her positive energy, kindness and determination.  When you learn about Linh's and Viet's life story- defecting from Viet Nam, living in refugee camps and eventually becoming doctors in the US- you can get an idea of how amazing both Linh and Viet are. 

Tragically, Viet has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of lymphoma and desperately needs a marrow donor match. Viet has dedicated her life to helping so many people through her work in internal medicine and now she needs to ask for help.  Matching is done through the National Marrow Donor Program.  The registry process is free, private and painless, online and a swab kit can be mailed to you.

You can read more information about Viet and how to register in the email I received below.  Thanks for taking the time to help spread the awareness about the registry and hopefully we'll find a match for Viet as soon as possible.

“As you might remember, my younger sister had relapsed lymphoma in July 2009.  Her only chance to live is to have a bone marrow/peripheral blood stem cell transplant.  However, there is no match available.  She's holding on as long as she could.

As we learn about this disease and from my experiences of taking care of countless children inflicted with leukemia and lymphoma, it is a curable disease.  For many of these patients, their only treatment option is a bone marrow/peripheral blood stem cell transplant.  As many as 70% of these patients do not have a donor in their family.

Some basic statistics... Everyday, over six thousand patients search the National Marrow Registry for a match.  The probability of a match in unrelated people is 1 in a million.  As a result, many of these patients do not survive.  At times, they eventually find a match but their health significantly deteriorate or the disease has significantly spread that they could no longer tolerate a transplant.  Those of Asian, South Asian, Hispanic, African American, mixed ethnicity, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander descent have a hard time finding a match due to lack of registry.

My sister is also a doctor.  We've talked extensively about her condition and her life.  Her (and my) wish is to keep looking for a donor for her, but as importantly, to increase awareness of this tremendous need and find potential donors for so many others.

The process of registering in the National Marrow Registry and donation process is free of charge, confidential, and relatively painless.  There is literally no harm to the donors.  

Those patients who receive a transplant at an appropriate time can live a normal life.  I have met and taken care a lot of them. 

Please help us spread the words.

Here's the webpage we set up for my sister.  You can read her story/statement there.”

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/vietlam/mystory

For detailed information about the National Marrow Registry, please visit

http://join.bethematch.org 

ONLINE MARROW REGISTRY INFORMATION FOR VIET :

Anyone needing information about becoming a marrow donor is welcome to contact me. I am working with Viet and Linh on planning marrow drives and maintaining her online marrow drive. 
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it 
Cell/BB 510-301-9512

Online registry Website: 
http://join.bethematch.org/viet2010

1. Fill out the online consent
2. a swab kit will be mailed to you with instructions
3. Mail the kit back to Be The Match
4. We will mail you a confirmation that you are now part of the registry.



Thank you, Magda Silva at BE THE MATCH


Magda Silva
 This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Magda Silva
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2 Comments

Well I figured I needed to keep posting to try and keep people coming back to the blog.. I also have been spending too much and need to get some more customers. So if you need anything from photos to windsurfing boards, sails, masts, I got it... tell your friends, your brothers sisters... you name it.. I got 76,94, 122 brand new Isonic's, i got fins, masts, booms....

 And now some photos for you...

Some shots of Whit Poor out ripping.. and some of KDogger and Simba!!! In the studio..

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Well the wind and waves came together today for some nice tradwind fun windsurf action. Went out on 5.3 Gaastra Manic and my Starboard and had a grand ole time at Hookipa Beach Park. Was fun to get out on the water and give it some steam. Felt not too bad on the waves after such a long break.. Looks like we have some more wind and waves coming in this weekend!!

Resi broke out her camera to take some shots for you guys!!

Kalui was out trying out some new Prydes!

And this guy was tryoug out some old Prydes.. Love the color..

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Well I have been slacking on the blog but I figured that you guys dont really care about how many times I have gone down to the beach only to find no wind. But now the forecast looks good and looks like we are going to be back on windsurfing. it has been a nice break and nice to hang out with family and friends with no wind going on... The weather has been Maui at it's finest.. if you are not a windsurfer.. I have been having some down time, towing in, dirt biking, road biking, and just trying to get back in shape after a couple months off of the training program. I am waiting for my new Gaastra Vapor's to come in and get them tuned up!!  Other than that been hanging with the fam, watching Kaden grow up.. Man he is getting big by the moment. He is already looking for his boom!!!!

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Back on the horse.....



Well Maui has been pretty much windless lately- I think it went on vacation... We did have a couple Kona days but that wasn’t as much fun as it looks! The surf has been on FIRE and seems to just keep pumping in! Swell after swell after swell.  The moto addiction has been resurrected- Kev just bought a brand new Honda CRF 250 and I have been riding the number 32 bike- a tricked out CRF 250 as well..... So some of you might think I’m a dummy but getting back on the bike was never really a question for me. After riding for all of my life, breaking both my legs was the only serious accident from all the fun I have had. It is in my blood and I am addicted! I don’t plan on doing anything too crazy- my last crash was just a case of bad timing.....

Riding has also really helped the movement and rehab- the boots we use are like casts and the movement generated in the ankle joint is awesome. I feel like I can run a marathon after 20 laps around the track-  So Kev took a couple shots the other day of us making some turns at the local Maui track- it is really fun and relatively safe....

Enjoy the pics and hope to see you on the water one of these days! The wind is supposed to come back next week-

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It is always so beautiful at Lanes and photos always come out looking so nice!!

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Looks like there are some Kona winds and some good size waves coming! Oh boy.. the last time that happend I lost my rig and had to swim in.. Not in 010... Cant wait for the first sailng day in O10...

 Whohoo...

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Let the games begin...... Just like that, another year has gone bye! Wow, they say time flies when you are having fun but I think it just flies no matter what. Today is the day to get it together, put that bucket list to the front of your daily life and make it happen. Life is short and time flies so lets do something about it!

When I look back at 2009, I would have to say it was a pretty great year. A few bumps in the road here and there but that is how it goes. The good have outweighed the bad that is for sure. For 2010, my outlook has not changed a bit...... My list looks a little like this-

Once the wind finds its way back to Maui, I’m fired up to get out on the water and get caught up. I have had some time off and windsurfing is burning a hole in my brain and I want to go out and learn some new moves. I want to dial in my “Shaka’s” on both tacks- I think this is one of the coolest Freestyle moves out there.... I can do them going out every now and then but my theory on tricks is that you can’t claim a trick until you can do them both ways!

I also plan on cracking that Hookipa lip real soon! There is nothing like connecting a perfect speedy bottom turn into a throwing mast high lip- My favorite move is stomping an aerial 360 out into the flats and accelerating down the face...... That is big on my list.

I would talk about getting in shape and being stronger but I have been on that program all year! I have pedaled uphill and ran on elliptical spin machines more hours than I can count- I don’t need to quit smoking and I don’t need to lower my cholesterol.  I am in pretty great shape and getting stronger everyday.... In one way or another!

The most exciting day of my life was watching my kid slide out into the world!  Learning to be a dad isn’t so hard at all. The biggest reason is because you have no choice. It comes naturally. It is one of the coolest things ever and you just figure it out day by day! I can’t wait to start teaching him some cool tricks- even if it is only learning to count to 3! He is pretty much a natural- He learns like me. If you can see it done and you know it is possible, you keep trying until you figure it out! Kids are amazing like that- we should all learn from them!

Last on my list is to get back to California and figure out that SuperCross track that broke both of my legs..... My mama taught me when you fall off, you gotta get back on the horse! So Giddyup.....

Hope this finds you happy and healthy- Get on that list, and remember to live like you were dyin!

See you out there.........

MP

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