Be The Match.

Hi all!

Another disgustingly busy week has passed. I seriously just want to curl up and sleep until Monday morning. A girl can dream!

Today, I wanted to help raise awareness about a cause and organization that I just recently got involved in, but I'm really proud of. Literally as soon as I heard about their on-campus group, I knew I had to help out.

Anyway, the organization is called Be The Match, a national registry of bone marrow donors kept in order to match a donor to someone with leukemia, apoplastic anemia, and other disorders. This week we had our second drive of the semester, and signed up over 40 people!

What I love is that not only does BTM recruit potential donors, but they also raise awareness of the need for bone marrow and fight misconceptions about donation. I've listed some of them here, as well as the truth behind them, and lots more information can be found on the website linked above.

It's just like blood -  they stockpile it.
No, not at all. If you get called to donate, which is a slim chance from the beginning, it is because you have tested to be a match for a SPECIFIC PERSON who needs it as soon as possible. One donation = one transplant.

It's painful
Those who think this don't really understand the process. 85% of the time, with a healthier adult patient, the donation process will be a lot like donating plasma. Have you ever, at a blood drive, seen someone hooked up to a machine where the blood goes out of their arm, into a machine, and then comes back out and is pumped back into the other arm? If yes, then it's that exact same procedure - in peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation, the blood is extracted through a needle and goes through a machine that separates out undifferentiated blood cells. Once these cells are extracted, it comes back out of the machine and into your other arm. The only difference is that undifferentiated blood cells, not plasma, is taken out. Also, for a few days before the donation you inject yourself with a chemical called filgrastim to maximize the number of peripheral blood stem cells in your blood. This makes you feel some muscle pain in the days leading up to donation but go away after collection. Typical side effects of blood donation apply to actual donation - tiredness and feeling lightheaded lasting for a few hours afterwards.

The remaining 15% of the time, with a small child or a patient that is more critically ill, a straight marrow donation will take place. This is an outpatient surgical procedure during which you are completely anesthetized and feel nothing. A needle is placed into the pelvic bone near the bottom of the back and marrow is extracted that way. Side effects are slight back cramps in the days following, and the marrow will regenerate within 4-6 weeks.

What if the person lives across the country? Is the procedure/ travel expensive?
It's true that this is a NATIONAL registry, and travel may be required to donate. A great thing about Be The Match is that you will be 100% reimbursed for any travel expenses, as well as having the medical procedures taken care of.

I cannot donate blood because of travel/illness. Can I join BTM?
Probably! Despite being more important, the restrictions for bone marrow donation are not as strict as they are with blood donation. This is because relatively few illnesses can damage your actual bone marrow, while your blood is susceptible to many different illnesses and toxins. Living in a certain area or traveling to a certain country is VERY unlikely to affect your ability to donate marrow.

How do I join the registry?
All it takes is a simple form, a VERY brief medical history, and a cheek swab! Couldn't be easier.

I highly encourage everyone to go out and join the registry! It could be the difference between life and death for someone, and it's really easy! I always took immense pride in being a blood and organ donor, and now I get to add marrow to the list :)