I'm on the Registry

When I was 18 years old, a little boy in my church fell very ill. He went downhill quickly and it became apparent that he was going to need a bone marrow transplant to have a fighting chance. None of his family was a match. We moved as quickly as possible, but by the time we got a bone marrow drive organized, he had passed away. We held the drive in his honor. I was proud to give a little vile of blood and put my marrow on the Nation Bone Marrow Donor's list. You can join the registry at 18 and remain on the list unless you withdraw your name, contract a disease that disqualifies you, or you turn 60. Bonus points: they now put you on the registry with a simple cheek swap, no needles!

I keep my information updated through Be the Match in case I am someone's match. I feel glad knowing that my information is there, in case there comes a time when my match needs me, and I can only hope that if one of my family members or myself ever needs it, our match will be there too.

Seeing the story about Amit reminded me of all the reasons why I'm on the registry, but also compelled me to share my story. The fact of the matter is finding a match for a persons bone marrow is much more difficult than a blood type match. There are many other markers that doctors look for. There are currently 10,000 people in need of a life saving bone marrow transplant and only about half will receive one. Ethnicity plays a part in finding a match. In Amit's case, his quest for a match and the social media movement to support him has uncovered the fact that South Asians are desperately under represented in the National Bone Marrow Registry. On the Be the Match website right now, there is a video advocating for more African American representation. His story started a grassroots movement and colleges everywhere sponsored bone marrow drives. Check out the twitter hashtag #iswabbedforamit

Regardless of your ethnicity, I feel it is vitally important that we grow this list. Have you ever donated blood? Have you donated your childs' cord blood? Are you registered as an organ donor? Consider adding bone marrow donor to your list. Be sure to visit the links I've provided. Be the Match has great case studies from people who have donated and received transplants, giving you a realistic view of what happens when you are a match. I'm a proud member of the registry. Who will join me?