Barbara Grupido, a resident of Ortonville, MI needs a stem cell transplant. She also needs the help and prayers of family, friends and the community. In January 2006, Barbara was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. In the last few years, she has endured many medical complications and hospitalizations. Her only hope for a cure is to have her own stem cells harvested, reprocessed and transplanted back into her system. In the meantime, she faces each day with a sense of humor and optimism that is motivational to all. As a devoted wife and loving mother of three girls and three boys, Barbara’s determination and fight for life is inspiring. Even while ill her generous spirit abounds; she has taken in 2 boys who needed a home. She gets a lot of emotional support from her husband, her mother, her extended family, and her service dog, Kuma.

In February 2008, she underwent a comprehensive evaluation and was deemed an excellent candidate for this procedure at Northwestern University School of Medicine, division of immunotherapy, Chicago, Illinois. Because of the extraordinary expense of transplantation, funding this life-saving operation is a monumental task.