JoAnn Yahn

The Aplastic Anemia Aplastic Anemia: (ay-PLASS-tik uh-NEE_mee-uh) A rare and serious condition in which the bone marrow fails to make enough blood cells - red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The term aplastic is a Greek word meaning not to form. Anemia is a condition that happens when red blood cell count is low. Most… & MDS International Foundation brought together two extraordinary women – JoAnn Yahn and Dr. Lisa Minter – who both lost daughters to aplastic anemia and have contributed through volunteerism, philanthropy and scientific research to find cures for bone marrow failure bone marrow failure: A condition that occurs when the bone marrow stops making enough healthy blood cells. The most common of these rare diseases are aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). Bone marrow failure can be acquired (begin any time in life) or can be… diseases.  These two women met for the first time at the AA&MDSIF’s 25th Anniversary Dinner. 
JoAnn Yahn, from Upstate New York, lost her 20-year old daughter Torry to aplastic anemia in 1997.  She has since turned tragedy into opportunity, raising more than $230,000 for research through an annual hometown barbecue.  Her fundraising created the “Torry Yahn Research Study Award,” which will be awarded this year to Dr. Lisa Minter, who also lost her 13-year old daughter Stephanie Phakos to aplastic anemia in 1995.  Dr. Minter, who works at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, is considered to be both an outstanding independent investigator and highly motivated to translate basic findings into clinical practice.  She has dedicated her career to finding treatment options to this disease that took her daughter’s life.