A plea.
Dating this so that it will stay at the top of my journal, because it's that important.
One of my family members needs a bone marrow transplant, and is a difficult match.
So if you haven't yet joined the local bone marrow registry, I'd ask that you think about it. In Canada, all I needed to do was a cheek swab, and I was in the database. We can also access other countries databases, so if you are in another country, you'd still be helping.
I didn't have to *go* anywhere to do this, they sent me a package, I swabbed my cheek myself, and mailed it back with the free enveloppe they'd included. No hassle. If you are a match, they will contact you to see if you are still willing to donate, so you always have the opportunity to say 'no'.
Funny story though, if you are a match, and they can't find you at your last address, they'll send the RCMP after you. I warned my parents if the Mounties ever showed up at their door asking about me, it was because I was a match. And not a drug dealer, or something. n__n
Links!!
One Match, the Canadian one.
Be the Match, in the States.
In Britain.
Not sure where else to link to, but if you need a link, I'm sure I can find it for you.
Please, think about it?
~~X~~
Update for March: We now have a couple of partial matches, but that seems to be as good as it gets right now. We don't know how we're going to proceed, but I'd still love a better match.
~~X~~
Update for August: The partial matches were good enough for a transplant! It was done two months ago now and it seems to have taken, though I knock on wood as I say this. Type this. There's certainly lots of hope for the future!
One of my family members needs a bone marrow transplant, and is a difficult match.
So if you haven't yet joined the local bone marrow registry, I'd ask that you think about it. In Canada, all I needed to do was a cheek swab, and I was in the database. We can also access other countries databases, so if you are in another country, you'd still be helping.
I didn't have to *go* anywhere to do this, they sent me a package, I swabbed my cheek myself, and mailed it back with the free enveloppe they'd included. No hassle. If you are a match, they will contact you to see if you are still willing to donate, so you always have the opportunity to say 'no'.
Funny story though, if you are a match, and they can't find you at your last address, they'll send the RCMP after you. I warned my parents if the Mounties ever showed up at their door asking about me, it was because I was a match. And not a drug dealer, or something. n__n
Links!!
One Match, the Canadian one.
Be the Match, in the States.
In Britain.
Not sure where else to link to, but if you need a link, I'm sure I can find it for you.
Please, think about it?
~~X~~
Update for March: We now have a couple of partial matches, but that seems to be as good as it gets right now. We don't know how we're going to proceed, but I'd still love a better match.
~~X~~
Update for August: The partial matches were good enough for a transplant! It was done two months ago now and it seems to have taken, though I knock on wood as I say this. Type this. There's certainly lots of hope for the future!