Save a Life

Many years ago I was a very young secretary at our home church and a little girl in our town relapsed with leukemia.  The town was stunned and wanted to rally to do something.  We prayed, we organized a fundraiser to help offset costs of travel and expenses and then, when she needed a bone marrow donor, I prayed some more and began the work of organizing a bone marrow drive.  Back then, becoming a member of the National Bone Marrow registry was kind of an ordeal.  It involved a blood draw, which isn't something that can exactly be done in home.  I partnered with the National Marrow Donor Registry and we had an outstanding drive.  During that time I myself became a member of the national marrow donor registry and have never for a minute regretted that commitment. 

A few years later I received a call that I was a preliminary match for a person needing a transplant.  Was I still interested?  Of course, of course I was still willing.  I answered an hour's worth of questions over the phone and they sent the blood draw kit to my local doctor.  There were a few of us that were potential members for this particular person and as such they sent kits to our doctors so they could further test us.  There were six (I believe) vials that needed filled up.  I am not an easy person to get a blood draw on.  I don't regret a minute of that two hours and multiple sticks it took to fill those tubes. 

I didn't end up being the final match for the person in question.  I did pray for them - that their perfect match was found and that they were able to receive a transplant.  Had I been the match I would have willingly undergone the procedure. 

As a mother of four I am all the more stricken with intense purpose when it comes to finding matches for people who need transplants.  Everyone looking for a match is someone's child, someone's parent, someone's brother or sister.  I look at my babies and pray to God that if we couldn't save them and they couldn't save each other that God would save them through this process. 

It is a commitment.  I do understand that.  I actually have had to put myself on temporary "hold" from the registry through each pregnancy and nursing cycle, but after each time period I willingly go back on without question.  I am not a hero.  Those fighting these diseases are the heros.

Mike and I were dating (engaged maybe?) back when I did the Bone Marrow Drive but the weather was less than perfect and he didn't make the drive home from college to sign up.  There is a baby boy in our community, a 9 month old, who is looking for his perfect match and it reconvicted us that it was time to get Mike on the registry.  Truthfully I was prepared to pay for his kit and have it sent to our doctor's office, thinking it was still a blood draw process.  It is SO easy to do now.  Four buccal swabs and you're done. 

We sent for Mike's kit a couple of weeks ago and completed it in minutes.  It is in the mail on it's way back to the registry center.

Please hear me when I say this - do not sign up unless you are willing to follow through on your commitment.  You are committing to undergo a medical procedure - and while I see it as minimal it is still a commitment.  Think it through.  After you think on it, if you decide joining the registry would be for you, follow this link to order your kit. 
http://bethematch.org/Support-the-Cause/Donate-bone-marrow/Join-the-marrow-registry/Join-now/
You can make a donation to have the kit sent but you do not have to. 

Every 4 minutes someone is diagnosed with blood cancer.  Make a difference.  Save a life.