I just got finished watching my friend Eric's latest blog entry. He is currently recovering from his THIRD stem cell transplant in order to finally be rid of his Leukemia. Long story short-he received his latest transplant from someone who registered through the bone marrow registry and at day +29, he's doing better than expected.
I think maybe this is what finally prompted me to do something I'd been considering for a while: become a registered donor. It's very simple! Go to http://www.marrow.org/ and join the site. You will answer a short health questionnaire and then they will send you a kit in the mail. Once you get that kit, all you do is swab the inside of your cheek with a q-tip, put it in a baggie, and send it back to them. They'll put your information into the system and-v'oila!-you become a potential donor! If you're contacted as being a potential match, the procedure is no more difficult than donating blood. If you can donate blood, you can donate stem cells! You have the potential to save someone's life. Eric wouldn't have had a chance if it weren't for the generosity of his donor. I hope they get to meet someday.
I'm never able to donate blood because I'm either always anemic or pregnant when there's a blood drive. With the stem cell donation, you don't even lose any of your blood. They hook an IV to your arm. The blood flows out of your arm and into a machine that spins the stem cells out and then the blood is returned right back to you. It actually seems pretty neat. :)
So I'm encouraging all of you out there to consider becoming a donor. It's easy and you could save someone's life. Lots of people are out there that need a match and never get one. Be someone's match and sign up today!
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