Help Save a Life!

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Before I explain you what this page is all about, here’s the background of this story.

As you might or may not know, this website is completely unofficial. I did have brief contact with John’s record company and one of his parents occasionaly says kind words about this project and how it reaches people; but other than that, the website is in no way affiliated with John Frusciante himself.

Therefore, I do understand, to a certain extent, that people were a bit skeptical when an user with the name rhcpmando said this in his very first post on this board. Some people nearly crossed the line with their replies, thinking someone was fooling around. I knew the person who wrote it from the official Red Hot Chili Peppers board, as he donated some audio to Invisible Movement in 2006 and I was sure he wouldn’t be making up such a story. I contacted him on Myspace and he confirmed all this.
After I’d posted the news on the site, here, he also commented on it, once again being a kind and forgiving human and ignoring the bad vibes.

Those words might as well have been his last words online. Armando Ruiz passed away on 25th May, at the age of 19.5 (read this for more information) and, during the following day, many people expressed their grief both on this website and its message board, as well as Armando’s Myspace. At the same time, I was informed that some people were speculating if this was true or not, or if the poor guy was, good forbid, “pretending to be dead because he made up the whole story”. Envy? Twisted minds? Something else? It does not matter, a human life was lost.

Late on 26th May, a source rather close to John Frusciante confirmed that the story was true, that Armando really had John’s upcoming record played for him in the hospital. So, everything poor Mando said in his last online sessions was true. But we can wait for the album. We waited and we’ll be waiting, but a human life was lost, a 19.5 year old died of a horrible illness. Nothing can make up for a lost life. When the album is out, Armando won’t be among us and he won’t have a chance to say “Hey, I told you!”

This page is here to help spread the Invisible Movement viewers’ awareness for lethal illnesses, leukemia in particular. It is known that many people died of it and someone might say that we cannot make a difference. Yes we can, and yes, we will. Every saved life makes a difference. Giving someone a couple of extra months makes a difference.

The following is the message from Katrina, the manager of one of I-M.net’s sister sites, JKDN:

Cancer is known as the great leveller. It does not care if you are rich or poor, if you are young or old, if you have family or are alone, if you have achieved all of your life goals, if you have not even decided what you want out of life. It doesn’t care.

Armando Ruiz was only 20 years old. His courage, kindness and dignity in the face of a terrible disease was met with jeers and dissections from people who are more vulture than human.

Tom Mackenzie was 12 years old when he was diagnosed with Leukemia. He fought all his life, not only for his health, but for a better world for everyone. When he was too sick to protest or chain himself to trees, he’d lie in hospital, making plans for when he got out. I met him when he was 19. When he was 27, we were married. 2 hours later, he died. Before Tom’s death, an appeal was put out to websites he frequented, asking people to consider signing up to be tested for bone marrow compatibility. One reader signed up. Although she was not a match for Tom, she was found to be a match for a desperately young sick boy. She can now wake up each morning and know that she saved a life.

In memory of Armando, I would ask that - if you can not afford to donate money to charities - register as a potential marrow donor and donate a sample of your blood. It will be kept on a register, and compared with those that need you. Life has no monetary value.

You may never be a match. You may wait years before someone needs you. You may be able to help someone straight away. But each morning, you can be proud of yourself that you are prepared to physically save a life.

Now, wouldn’t that be a great way to start the day?

For more information, visit anthonynolan.org.uk - they are a charity that maintains a register of donors that is appealed to worldwide by people desperately in need of bone marrow, in order to survive.

And for those of you that have little humanity or trust in other people, sources close to John Frusciante confirm Armando’s posts on I-M.net as the truth. It is unbelievable that the illness and tragic death of a young man can be met with such hostility and vileness, even from some JKDNers. PLEASE, let something good come out of this.

Please, proceed to the second page to read the other letters and see how YOU can help make a difference.

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