A Simple Gift

I am dedicating this blog entry to every person who has been affected by blood cancers. These cancers are heinous, painful, and resilient. The treatment, which includes chemotherapy, often requires the complete decimation of the patient's immune system, followed by a replacement with new marrow. This procedure takes anywhere from about 4 hours to, at most, 2 days (it depends on the extent of the donation). It also requires a willing donor, with matching marrow. Often, the patient is able to rebuild a new immune system, fight the cancer, and make a full recovery.

The reason I am writing this evening is to ask you all, everyone reading this, to register as a bone marrow donor with the national bone marrow registry. Marrow is more complex than blood, and so requires a more specific match, thus making it very difficult to find matching donors. The registry exists to pair those in need of marrow with possible willing donors.

I registered a couple years ago, and it was one of the easiest things I've ever done. All I had to do was sign up for a kit online. When it arrived, I filled out one page of paperwork and took the kit to the lab at my doctor's office (I didn't need to make an appointment; all I had to do was show up). They drew a couple vials of blood, which they then sent back to the registry to analyze. My match type is now recorded forever in the registry. If a cancer patient needs a marrow transplant or donation and a willing donor is not found in the family, the registry is searched for other matches. If one is found, the donor is contacted, informed of the match, and asked if they are still wiling to donate.

It's one of the easiest things we can all do to save another person's life. To sign up to receive a FREE kit, click here. To find out more about the National Marrow Donor Program, click here.

Signing up to be a donor is a beautiful tribute to anyone who has ever had cancer, both the people who were able to beat the illness as well as those who were not. I registered to be a donor because of a classmate I lost in 7th grade, Brittany Lambert. I still think of her, 10 years later.  I would give anything to be able to give someone like Brittany a second chance.

 I am asking you today to sign up to join the marrow registry- not for me, not for yourself, but for everyone who has lost the battle with cancer who can't be here to ask you themselves.

If you still need convincing, check out this blog.

Thanks.