WEBSITE: www.stepstomarrow.com

Jada Bascom, my grandaughter, was born with acute myeloid leukemia; she had a bone marrow transplant when she was 6 months old. Jada is in remission and living happily with her parents in Deer Park, WA.

In order to express our gratitude to the innumerable people it took to save Jada’s life and to support our family through this crisis we began the Jada Bascom Foundation. The foundation is sponsoring Steps To-Marrow, in which I, Jada’s grandmother, Jeana Moore, will be walking from Seattle to Los Angeles and Los Angeles to New York City, to raise awareness around the need for bone marrow donors and to recruit potential bone marrow donors for the National Bone Marrow Registry.

We hope that through our efforts many people will find their match just like Jada did.

Saturday, January 23, 2010





On the Way to Hopland
Dear Friends, 1/22/10

Today I left Ukiah. 101 is an interstate as it passes through Ukiah so I walked the railroad tracks for the first 7 miles on my way to Hopland. It was an extraordinary walk. A doe crossed over the tracks just ahead of me. A flock of over 100 turkeys fluttered and scurried out of a ravine where they had been nesting. A rabbit hopped right along beside me then rushed off through one of the vineyards. After about 3 and a half miles I could feel a soreness on one of my toes. This means one thing...blister! I decided to give my feet a break from the tracks and a lonely path magically appeared inviting me onto a dirt road running through a vineyard. I knew it might be hard to get back up onto the tracks... berry bushes, ditches to wide to jump flowing with water from the recent rains...but my feet needed a rest from the uneven tracks. I walked along the road. My toe was sore but feeling a bit better. As I walked I passed row after row of grape vines. And the ditch between me and the tracks slowly began to get wider and wider, so wide I could not jump across. The berry bushes began to get thicker and thicker, so thick I could not climb through them to get back to the tracks. Soon I found myself looking toward the end of the vineyard with water flowing in a ditch too wide to jump on one side, water flowing in a ditch too wide to jump right in front of me and a very little dog barking very loudly across the ditch. I helloed the house and a farm worker came over to the south edge of the ditch. I apologized for trespassing in the vineyard and explained I needed to return to the railroad tracks. I soon understood that he spoke very little English. I explained again this time with a lot of hand motions. He said "pump house," as he pointed down along the edge of the vineyard. I waved and thanked him knowing he meant there would be a bridge to cross at the pump house, and there was. I walked back toward the railroad tracks and as I passed the small stucco house I decided to ask for a band aid, hoping to protect my toe from blistering. I knocked on the door and a young woman with flowing black hair answered the door. I later found out her name is Anna. Lucky for me Anna spoke English. I apologized for walking through the vineyard uninvited and explained that I needed a band aid for my toe. She said "just a minute" with a slight smile and shut the door. She soon returned with the band aid. Because it had been raining and everything was so wet I asked if I could put the band aid on sitting on their front stoop. She said yes and I set about doctoring my foot.Anna's father came up from the shop. He wanted to know where I was coming from. I explained that I was walking to find donors for people with leukemia and that I had started in Seattle. Not sure how well I had communicated I reached down for a picture of Jada, pointed to her and said "My granddaughter was sick"He nodded and said "Tea?" I nodded. He went into the house and returned when I had finished tying my shoe. He invited me in for tea. Soon I was chatting with Anna, watching the little ones play, and eating tacos.Anna told her parents about Jada's illness and recovery and my journey to recruit bone marrow donors. I was moved by the simplicity and warmth of their home. And their quick generosity to a stranger.Though I knew I needed to continue my walk to reach Hopland. I did not rush. I enjoyed the moments of hospitality offered by Anna's family.

Ukiah, CA second day

Dear Friends, 1/21/10
Today things were exploding around me. Some days you see the manifestation of your actions more clearly than others.The fire dept arranged interviews with the Ukiah Daily Journal and Ukiah Valley TV. The article in the journal will be in Sundays paper and the interview with Ukiah Valley TV will be online soon go to http://www.ukiahvalley.tv/

I was invited to talk at the Ukiah Fire Dept volunteer training and again the firefighters stepped up and started signing up online right away.Today walking down the street I met a woman awaiting her diagnosis...they are testing for leukemia. She and I talked for quite a while, standing under the eaves, with the rain all around us as she told her story and spoke of her pain and her fears. This is my journey. People watching out for me, caring for me as I care for others. It is not easy but it is so simple and so beautiful.

Very wet today as I walked to Ukiah. On the outskirts I stopped in at The Forks Cafe. They fed me my first hot meal in two days. If you are traveling through be sure to stop and ask for some homemade tomato basil soup!I called ahead to the Ukiah Fire Dept and they offered to help me while I was in town. I shared the message of how easy it is to join the registry and the firefighters started signing up online while I was sharing dinner with them. They are also working on a live drive for the community. Thank you all for your service and care! We are all blessed by your dedication.
























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