OT: Sign up to be a bone marrow donor.
This is quite OT for sports, but not OT for life:
Sign up to be on the bone marrow donor registry. If you fit the criteria, you should have no excuse not to. The foundation covers the cost of lab fees (unless you wish to pay them or donate any amount of money toward it and other donors' fees). However, I read that they will not continue to pay the fees in full after the end of January. I'm betting you can sign up online before then and be clear.
It's easy because you sign up online, they mail you cheek swabs, and you mail them back. If you're worried about actually having to donate, there are actually two procedures, one of which is not the famously painful needle-in-the-bone one. However, if you receive an email or call about a baby with leukemia, or someone's dad, or someone's brother/sister/mother/son/daughter who will otherwise die, you can handle a little bit of pain because it's not as valuable as a life. You have no excuses.
January 27th, 2012 at 1:40 AM ^
I'm already on the list and I concur that all fellow Mgoblogers should look into this and join. I've never been called but I know people who were the only match for someone and actually SAVED a life. The list is especially in need of minorities.
January 27th, 2012 at 1:50 AM ^
Up but forgive me for not clicking the link and not extracting the information for myself. However how do I donate? And where?
January 27th, 2012 at 1:54 AM ^
Just saw the YouTube clip on the website.
January 27th, 2012 at 2:28 AM ^
Just signed up. Been meaning to do it for awhile. Thank you very much for the reminder.
January 27th, 2012 at 2:43 AM ^
Just did it
January 27th, 2012 at 3:56 AM ^
Great post. I'm now signed up. It's definately worth the time when you could potentially save someone's life.
January 27th, 2012 at 8:27 AM ^
January 27th, 2012 at 8:30 AM ^
I didn't see the option to exclude anyone (e.g., Urban Meyer, Mark Dantonio, Brett Bielema). I'm pretty good with donating to anyone else, but it would grind my ass to help out one of those d-bags.
January 27th, 2012 at 9:08 AM ^
Already on it.
January 27th, 2012 at 9:13 AM ^
and feel better knowing I may be able to help someone
January 27th, 2012 at 9:27 AM ^
A friend of mine has a son who was in remission from a form of leukemia, but he relapsed and now has a more aggressive and much rarer form. Even if his chemo treatments work, he'll still need a bone marrow transplant to survive.
One thing to check is whether or not you're already on the donor registry. Call them and ask. They'll confirm your name and birth date and address at time of registration.
January 27th, 2012 at 9:31 AM ^
January 27th, 2012 at 9:50 AM ^
Yes, redundant, but Just signed up and agree with everyone above. Such a small thing to possibly provide such a huge thing.
January 27th, 2012 at 9:58 AM ^
Just signed up! I admit that in the past I've been a bit intimidated by the procedure, but it's a small price to pay to save a life.
January 27th, 2012 at 10:14 AM ^
My wife signed up for this last year and was matched with someone within 3 months. DKMS will fly you out to the closest qualified hospital at no cost to you when you donate. It really can save lives and I strongly suggest everyone on the board should register
January 27th, 2012 at 11:01 AM ^
Very cool. And as a travel geek, I have to ask - did she earn miles??? ;)
Great that your wife did that. And I hear that the donation procedure is now much quicker and far less painful than it used to be, as they now use stem cells rather than actually taking your actual bone marrow.
January 27th, 2012 at 1:38 PM ^
We both did. They flew us to Chicago twice and NY once. All the miles put her account over 25,000 miles so we now have a free round trip ticket to anywhere in the continental US.