You can. And it is easier than you think.
Life changes quickly. It’s cliché, but true. I was a really healthy guy who took good care of my body, mind and spirit. I took advantage of my company’s free annual health clinic and made sure my blood counts were all within normal levels. Two months after one of these tests I was diagnosed with AML, in my case an aggressive form of Leukemia. Chemotherapy rid my body of the cancer within two months, and twenty or so blood and platelet transfusions kept me alive during that time frame. But my prognosis was such that only a bone marrow/stem cell transplant offered a good chance of a cure.
A 19 year old man who doesn’t know me made a decision to be a lifesaver. He did so by joining the national marrow donor program and giving up some hours of his time and his blood. As a result, a month after transplant, I have a second chance at living out my life.
You can be a lifesaver too. Particularly if you are between the ages of 18-44, I encourage you to go to www.BeTheMatch.org and consider registering to be a bone marrow or stem cell donor. There are extensive FAQs on the site to guide you through the process. There is no cost to you and it is simpler than you think. You can register at a bone marrow donor event or register online. If you register online a swab kit will be mailed to you with instructions for collecting saliva samples from the inside of your mouth. If it is determined later that you are a match for a person in need, you will have one or more blood tests and a physical exam, at no expense to you. The actual collection process for my donor was a lot like giving plasma. You can always change your mind.
All the years I donated blood I always assumed that donating stem cells was more complicated than it now is. I was wrong.
Would you save someone’s life if you could? You can. Check it out at:
http://www.bethematch.org. You can also go to www.iowadonorregistry.org (or Google your state’s registry) to learn how to be an organ or tissue donor. Be a lifesaver. Go Light Your World!
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives* for our brothers and sisters.
1 John 3:16
* BT: (or at least give a few hours of our time…)
I will!
Emily, if given the opportunity, the one life you save could change thousands, or more!,
Reblogged this on Endometriosis: the silent life sentence and commented:
Having a chronic condition rules many out, but consider this if you’re healthy. Do something with your time here… stomp, don’t tip-toe.
I agree with that. Life is an adventure to be lived fully. I like the quote by martyredd missionary Ed McCully:
“My supreme desire is to live with reckless abandon for Christ.”
There is no tip-toeing that kind of life, no matter what physical condition you find yourself in.
Thanks for stopping the blog!
Never a truer quote.