Insight on bone marrow donation

[Bill and Mary]

I was given some insight today on the availability of donors. First I have to say that I am anti-Bush, anti-Iraq war and pro service men and women where ever they are. The military types all service people and they are on various donor registries. The registry I and probably we all are concerned with is the bone marrow donor registry. Many of those on the registry are young men and women.

The insight I was given today by a person in a position to know is this: As I have said before, I was blessed by having over 3,000 possible donors. Further testing, as expected, removed a bunch of them from consideration but there were still a substantial number left. When the registry looked at the availability of potential remaining US donors they found that many were unavailable at this time. I don’t think it is too much to speculate that many of the potential donors are service people. They are unavailable because they have been shipped overseas where they may be injured or worse, killed. I don’t know about you all, but I resent deeply that first, their families may be deprived of their loved ones and second, we are deprived of the opportunity their unselfish gift of life might provide to us. How many folks needing bone marrow transplants will not get them because their potential donors are in harms way needlessly? Thanks George -not!

As it is, after having my first American donor become unavailable for 6 months, I have been blessed again. Some gentleman in France is a perfect 10/10 match and is donating his stem cells to me. The French registry authorities have pulled out all the stops and facilitated the donation. How many ways can I say thanks to him and the folks in the American and French agencies involved? I will never meet him because the French registry does not allow for donor and recipient to meet. I’m not sure how but I will find a way to thank him.

I guess I can get off my soap box. I just had to vent a bit because a lot of folks may not get the opportunity I am getting because some stupid politician is trying for a legacy!

Bill

[Marsha]

Bill,

My son is in the Military and he served about 13 months in Iraq. Tho, it was scary at times, I and he believe that they needed to be there. But as time goes on (he is back in Germany) I feel we will never get out of there. He had to have several immunizations and was told that he could not donate blood or marrow for any reason for 10 years. So I had lost testing him for my BMT. My daughter and brother and sisters are on the registry as well as alot of Mark’s friends who aren’t in the military. I am relieved you have found a donor as I did and when it comes to life most people will step up to the plate. Thanks for reading my reply

God Bless, Marsha

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