Anyone ever donate Bone Marrow?

I've been on the registry for five years and haven't come up as a match for anyone yet, so I'm no help lol.

Amazing story. Thanks for sharing.

My nephew donated bone marrow for my niece (his sister) when she had Leukemia...he didn't even hesitate, just stepped right up and was a near perfect match! She was lucky that she had four siblings but he was the only really good match. That was about ten years ago and they are both perfectly healthy today. It must be a wonderful feeling to give so unselfishly to someone else and know that you made such a significant impact on their life.

For those without any siblings, or other relatives that might be a match, the Registry is a wonderful thing and all those that put themselves forward to help a stranger deserve a special place in heaven.

Great story. :flowerforyou:

I am with Anthony Nolan. I have always wanted to donate bone marrow and have been on the list for about 6 months now.
I donate blood and am hoping t donate platelets soon too but at the moment the nearest centre is too far away as I don't drive and it isn't near any train stations. But I will get there soon

Thanks so much for sharing this. As a person living with leukemia, I know the importance of bone marrow.... seeing that I had cancer in mine. I wish everyone would register. I am in remission now, but my only hope for a cure is by a bone marrow transplant. Without donors, people like me wouldn't have a chance. Thanks for posting this. Maybe one more person will register because of it. Much love to you. :flowerforyou:

Amazingly no - I have been on the registry for as long as I can remember...20 years perhaps. Every now and then I check to see if I'm still on the list, and so far I am...I guess I'm not a very good match. However, I donate platelets about once a month, and will keep at that to do my part to help out. Plus the cookies kick butt.

Wondering why you haven't been called? Marrow matching is a lot more complicated than blood types. From BeTheMatch.com's bone marrow donation FAQ:

>>>>>
On average, about one in 540 U.S. Be The Match Registry members will go on to donate bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) to a patient. Because of the vast variation in tissue types, we can't predict an individual registry member's chance of donating to a patient. If you have a relatively common tissue type, you might be one of many who could match a searching patient. If you have an uncommon tissue type, you may never match a patient, or you might be the only one out of more than 10.5 million registry members who can save a person's life.
<<<<<

So don't get discouraged. Register, get typed, tell the registry if you move. Tomorrow may be the day you save someone's life.

I've been giving blood for about 40 years. Recently I had my marrow checked because my sister has a rare condition and MAY need donations. Her dr. hasn't gotten back to me yet, though.

I am also surprised you all haven't been called, but please stay on there. You give us hope.

Thanks so much for sharing this. As a person living with leukemia, I know the importance of bone marrow.... seeing that I had cancer in mine. I wish everyone would register. I am in remission now, but my only hope for a cure is by a bone marrow transplant. Without donors, people like me wouldn't have a chance. Thanks for posting this. Maybe one more person will register because of it. Much love to you. :flowerforyou:

You're very welcome..I think its something that more people should consider. I watched my grandfather go through Cancer..and I would love to be able to help someone eventually. I can't give back much, but I am more than willing to give the one thing that I can. My whole weight loss mission has been driven by the fact that I wanted to donate.

I would so hug the *kitten* out of you if I could. This is a very important topic for me. )