Be The Match

Several weeks ago I was reading an online article about blood marrow donation. It involved a little boy undergoing a blood marrow transplant and how his little life was saved by one individual sacrificing a insignificant amount of time. Of course my heart-strings were instantly tugged.

I went online to Be The Match to see if I would qualify to be a blood marrow donor. It took me all of 5 minutes to answer the online questionnaire and provide them my home address. 

This came in the mail today!

I am feel silly saying that I was excited to receive it and tore it open just like a birthday card!

The process was soo easy from there...

They send you a small kit in which you swab the inside of your cheek for your cells.

All done!

You simply mail the kit back in a prepaid envelope that they give you. It was soo quick and easy!

After my samples are received they add my info into a national database and I wait and see if I'm ever a match for someone. I will be able to remain on the list until I'm 61 years old!

I was asked an interesting question today by a friend. (Hi Amy!) She was curious if I was worried about how painful it will be to donate the bone marrow if I'm ever a match.

One of the most interesting things I learned was that 76% of the time the doctor doing the procedure will request for a PBSC donation (peripheral blood stem cell). This is a non-surgical procedure very much like when one goes in to do a standard blood donation. Easy peasy!

The other portion of the time the doctor would request that liquid bone marrow be drawn from the pelvic bone.

It all sounds a tiny bit painful but I keep asking myself what if it were one of my boys in need??

I urge everyone to go to www.bethematch.org and see if you qualify to be a blood marrow donor!