This is the biggest call for help we could make.

Jeff recently helped us make the biggest call for help we could have hoped for. 

If you have participated in any of our workshops in the last 10+ years, read our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook you know the news. 

Our dear friend and colleague, Lily Woo, is still in search of a living kidney donor. 

She is currently on dialysis for 10 hours every single day. 

The average lifespan of someone on dialysis is five to ten years. Lily has been on dialysis for nearly 5 years. 

We have been at a loss of what else we could do to spread the word about Lily. 

And then Jeff had an idea! 

Jeff reached out to his contacts at WCBS in NYC and they recently did an interview with Lily. 

This is where having media connections is invaluable!

We hope and pray that many people were inspired by Lily's story and have decided to start the donor screening process. 

This first step can help Lily or one of thousands of others in need of a kidney find a life-saving match. 

Lily has shared her 9/11 story of protecting the children of her school with hundreds of our workshop participants. Her story of love, leadership, professional challenges and successes have inspired so many of us. 

You can learn more about Lily, her story, and how to start the donor screening process here. 

Thank you for all the love and support you've shown Lily thus far. Let's keep it up!

This is the most important thing we can talk about right now.

Seems our little reminder about Lily landed for a few folks!

We're so grateful for your support and willingness to continue to share Lily's story with the hope of finding her a kidney donor. 

And, there is still work to be done.

You asked us a really important question and we got you an answer!

You asked us for Lily’s blood type. As you can imagine this is one of the FIRST ways to know if you, or someone you know, could be a match for Lily.

Lily's blood type is O+. 

None of her family members are a good match and it could take years for Lily to find a match via a transplant list. Lily is undergoing daily dialysis treatments so she doesn't have that kind of time left. 

Are you an O+ blood type?

If you're interested in seeing if you could be a match and learning about the process please email Donna Tissot, Lily’s advocate, and she will assist you. Her email address is: donnat628@gmail.com

An inquiry does not mean you have committed to anything. Donna can simply give you information and answer your questions. 

You can read more about Lily and her story HERE. 

NOT A MATCH? YOU CAN STILL HELP! 
There are two ways... 

1. Share Lily’s story.

When you share a message you never know how far and wide your reach may be. Thank you for taking a minute to forwarding this to your network. 

2. Learn about kidney donation. 
Most often, just KNOWING something can help someone. Taking a few minutes to learn about kidney donation means we can simply be more aware and have informed conversations with others on this important topic. Who knows! It could help us inform or encourage someone else to become a donor. 

In 2016, Dylan Matthews donated his kidney to a complete stranger. He documents how and why in his incredible story, How to Save a Stranger's Life. 

Listen to the podcast HERE. 
Read the article HERE.  
Watch the video HERE. 

Thank you for taking a moment to read this and for potentially saving Lily's life. 

#TeamLily

-Jeff & The Diamond6 Team

Help us help Lily

We have a special request for you.

As you may have heard us mention before, our friend and colleague, Lily Din Woo, needs our help. 

Lily found out that she had Stage 4 Chronic Kidney Disease in early 2018 and was placed on the transplant list at Weill Cornell Medical Center in September of 2018. In the summer of 2020, she became extremely ill, spending 5 months in the hospital. Her situation has gotten progressively worse and now has End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). She is undergoing daily dialysis for 10 hours each night. She desperately needs our help. 

The wait for a deceased donor in New York is 7-10 years. Chances for survival is greatly increased if she gets a living donor.

Doctors have advised Lily to actively seek a living kidney donor as soon as possible.

Feel free to share this email with your friends, colleagues, and larger network. Together we may be able to find the donor Lily is so desperately searching for. 

You can also share this information on your social networks. The goal is to spread Lily's story far and wide. 

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Here's how you can help Lily:

If you are interested in learning more about the kidney donation process or in becoming a potential donor for Lily, please register at: https://cornell.donorscreen.org

Please indicate "donor for Lily Woo" on the registration form. This does not commit you to anything. 

If you have any questions please email Donna Tissot, Lily’s advocate, and she will assist you. Her email address is: donnat628@gmail.com

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More about Lily

If you have heard Lily speak at one of our workshops you know that she is an incredible person, educator, leader, and friend. We are so grateful to her for sharing her time and wisdom with all of you! Her stories and experiences have provided invaluable insights to us all.

Lily has served her community as a school principal for 25 years and has received many awards in her life for her service: most notable were the NYC and NYS Distinguished Educator Awards in 2002; recognition by the 2004 World Olympics Committee as an “Everyday Hero” and had the honor of running part of the New York City leg of the Summer World Olympics Torch Relay that year; and Manhattan Media’s 2010 “Principal of the Year” Blackboard Award. At her retirement celebration in 2014, she received proclamations from the City Council and the NYS Senate for her long-standing service as principal in her school and community, and most recently in 2016, received recognition as one of City University of New York’s Outstanding Asian American Alumni.

As a hobby, Lily is a drum corps enthusiast. From the time when she was seven, she was a part of a community drum corps in Chinatown. During the late 1970’s, she was a part of the Bills Boys Drum and Bugle Corps horn line and later joined the New York Skyliners to become one of the few females in their horn line. She also marched as part of Sky’s Championship Honor Guard for several years in the 1990’s and served as assistant drum major for the competing corps from 2005-07. She was given the honor as a lifetime member of the New York Skyliners field corps in 2015. Today, she is still a member of the Skyliners Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps and still plays whenever she is well enough and able to.