Bone Marrow Match Registry free ($100 fee paid by Amex)

i'm in...i've donated plasma before...process doesn't seem bad just inconvenient...least i can do though

I've been in the registry for about 10 years now, so I have no need to register again. I am passing the info on to my students though. Hopefully I can get a few of them to sign up!

if you are selected and they need your marrow, do they fly you to the location of the patient and put you up in a hotel? If so, could be a good opportunity for a free mini-vacation.

in...

I have been enrolled for more than 20 years. Please join. You never know if you, or someone you love, may need a bone marrow transplant. It does not cost you a thing.

I registered 21 years ago. So far my Irish/Slovenian/German/Scottish/Probably-Everywhere-Else-ish blood (marrow) hasn't been needed, but I'd be honored to be called up anytime.

Clears up any misgivings or fears I might have:
"‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’" Matthew 25:40 NIV

A little boy in my town recently received a bone marrow transplant and is doing amazing, without it he would have died. Please register, you never know when you or your child will need this live saving procedure.

I'm scheduled to donate blood next week. Anyone know if this procedure would interfere with that or vice versa?

BTW great find. I strongly believe in community service but my spare cash is essentially nonexistent.

JaxFL said:   Roefa said:   I have been donating blood for over twenty years and was regestered to donate marrow. I was eventually matched and went through the verification (additional testing) process. However, the hospital was in the city far from home and required someone to pick me up after the proceedure. It was very frustrating and unfortunate for the recepient that the agency did not offer any assistance. Did anyone else ever experience this problem? There are all kinds of agencies out there... Hard to believe that'd be a show stopper, even for the family affected.

The agency said that they could not communicate any information between the donor and recepient's family. It was totally up to me to provide transportation to and from the hospital. I tried to arrange to have a friend pick me up but it was difficult in the time frame they provided. Good to know there are better agencies out there.

For me, marrow registration was handled by the local blood donation center - they did it at the same time I gave platelets. I think it was with a small draw to start the session off, so technically it was done prior to the donation. But they had to take my marrow sample twice, it was lost or somehow unusable the first try. And I was doing frequent platelet donations at the time - they definitely had no concerns about combining the two. In fact, they sort of advertised them together because you could very easily do the other at any time you were doing one.

Registered for a kit! Thank you!

dionaea said: Wonder why those above 60 and in good health cannot donate?
from the faq:
Q: If I'm over 60, why can't I join?
A: The age guidelines are in place to protect donors and provide the best treatment for patients:
Donor safety: As one ages, the chances of a hidden medical problem that donation could bring out increases, placing older donors at increased risk of complications. Since there is no direct benefit to the donor when they donate, for safety reasons we have set age 60 as the upper limit. It is important to note that the age limit is not meant to discriminate in any way.
To provide the best treatment for the patient: Research shows that cells from younger donors lead to more successful transplants. That’s because younger donors produce more and higher-quality cells than older donors.

http://marrow.org/Join/FAQs_about_Joining.aspx#over60

I just did it. Love it when Corporate America helps people in need. Thanks, OP! Thanks, AMEX!

I'll risk the discomfort and inconvenience of actually being selected to donate marrow to be the match and potentially save a life. I know a young guy through work, 31 years old now, that required 2 transplants because the first one did not take. After battling cancer for 5 years, he is now cancer free thanks to someone being on this registry. I encourage everyone to do this that is medically qualified to do so. Just imagine if it was your father, mother, sister, brother, wife, best friend, child, or even yourself that had the misfortune of developing a cancer that required this transplant for treatment... the gratitude you would feel towards that donor couldn't be put into words.

If you don't want to donate, no prob... those are not the worst offenders, IMHO. Imagine you need someone's marrow to live, you find a match, who then refuses to donate. It happens. I don't know how much, but more than it should. If you register, GREAT!, but please don't flake out IF you are ever matched.

^ same