Being a bone marrow donor sounds painful and scary, doesn’t it? Actually, it isn’t. “For people who are on the fence on donating bone marrow, just do it. Your process is easy and you have the potential to save a life,” Ted, who recently donated…and saved his sister’s life, explained.
Earlier this month, I posted Meg’s Story, an inspirational story of a brave young woman who has spent her lifetime battling diseases. One of those diseases was a type of blood cancer called Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS). She needed a bone marrow transplant to survive. Luckily, her brother, Ted, was a perfect match.
“Best part of being a donor… well, we’d be having a very different conversation of how I got through this tragedy instead of how we overcame one.”
– Ted, Bone Marrow Donor
Ted was able to save Meg’s life. But finding a match isn’t always easy. Meg was lucky she had a sibling, and even luckier that he was a viable donor and match. In actuality, the odds are likely against you. “Only about 30% of patients can find a fully matched donor within their family, most people in need of a bone marrow transplant are matched through the registry,” according to Cancer.net.
The fact is – the more people on the registry, the better the statistics become for people in need. Be the Match is a non-profit organization operated by the National Marrow Donor Program and is the most diverse registry in the world. They have worked for over 30 years and have facilitated more than 105,000 transplants, saving countless lives. In addition to the registry, they contribute with research, innovation and patient support and education. Needless to say, a very worthy cause.
But I get it. It probably still sounds scary. If that’s the case, visit Ted’s Story on my Planet Kind page. I go into a bit more detail about what it’s really like to donate if you still need some convincing.
Do something kind today…visit Be the Match and find out how you can help. Even if you decide being a donor isn’t for you, there are other ways to contribute. You never know, you may be saving someone’s life.
Does it make you nervous to sign up to be a blood marrow donor? Let me know if you do and we can discuss the best way you can make a difference.
