Become my friend's hero...save a life...April 24-30

Become my friend's Hero! Time Sensitive: April 24-30 Free Bone Marrow Donor Registration Online.

My friend is an outstanding medical student who is battling leukemia for the second time, and she needs your help to save her life. At the age of 23, she was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). After two years of treatment, followed by a cord blood transplant, she came to the medical school to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. Unfortunately, during her first year as a medical student she was re-diagnosed with leukemia. She braved chemotherapy, and now she needs a bone marrow transplant to save her life. But out of the millions of registered bone marrow donors worldwide, she does not have a match. We are asking you to register because you could be Become Her Hero.

Please consider registering for the Be the Match Registry. Our online drive for her is April 24-30. You can register for free at www.marrow.org using the code BK041309. By joining the Registry, you give hope to patients everywhere with leukemia, lymphoma and a variety of other diseases. When you register as a bone marrow donor, you join a global movement of more than 12 million donors who stand ready to give someone a future. You may never be called upon to donate, but if you are, you and perhaps only you will have the power to save a life.

My friend is half African American and half caucasian, making her a molecular minority because her bone marrow is difficult to match. A match for her is likely to also be of mixed heritage. Minority and mixed heritage donors are underrepresented in the Registry and very much needed. That being said, we encourage everyone to sign up to offer hope to all those looking for donors.

Registering is simple and takes as little as five minutes, and our online drive will allow you to register for free. You will be asked to fill out a basic form with your contact information and medical history (which remains protected), and then you will swab the insides of your cheeks with a kit that is mailed to your home. No blood draw is required. Your saliva is all that is needed to register. Five minutes of your time today could mean a lifetime for someone like my friend.

Thank you,
Family and Friends


Become My Friend�s Hero! April 24-30 FREE ONLINE Bone Marrow Donor Registration Drive

http://www.marrow.org/JOIN/Join_Now/join_now.html
Friday April 24 - Thursday April 30
FREE REGISTRATION using code BK041309


Additional ways you can help

Share this story with your friends and family, especially those of minority background as the Registry is actively seeking more minority members. With a few e-mail and phone calls, you can get the word out about the importance of registering. They could be my friend�s match. And save her life.

Find a drive near you at http://marrow.org/JOIN/Join_in_Person/index.html


Myths and Facts about Bone Marrow Donation

MYTH: The bone marrow donation procedure is painful.
FACT: General or regional anesthesia is always used for this procedure. Donors feel no needle injections and no pain during marrow donation.

MYTH: All bone marrow donations involve surgery.
FACT: The majority of donations do not involve surgery. The patient's doctor most commonly requests a peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation, which is non-surgical and does not require a stay in the hospital. If marrow is requested, it is a surgical procedure, but there is still usually no stay in the hospital.

MYTH: Pieces of bone are removed from the donor.
FACT: Pieces of bone are not removed from the donor in either type of donation. A PBSC donation involves taking the drug filgrastim for five days leading up to donation in order to increase the donor's needed blood-forming cells. On the fifth day, blood is taken from the donor through one arm, passed through a machine that separates out the blood-forming cells, and returned through the donor's other arm. In marrow donation, no pieces of bone are taken; only the liquid marrow found inside the bones is needed to save the patient's life.

MYTH: Donating bone marrow is dangerous and weakens the donor.
FACT: Though no medical procedure is without risk, there are rarely any long-term effects from donating. Only five percent or less of a donor's marrow is needed to save a life. After donation, the body replaces the donated marrow within four to six weeks. The NMDP screens all donors carefully to ensure they are healthy and that the procedure is safe. The NMDP also educates donors, answers questions at every step, and follows up after donation.

MYTH: Donors have to pay for the donation procedure.
FACT: Donors never pay for donating. All medical costs are paid by the patient's medical insurance or by the patient, sometimes with NMDP assistance. The NMDP reimburses donors for travel costs, and may reimburse other costs on a case-by-case basis.
(from www.marrow.org)

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Become Her Hero is a community of this girl�s family and friends searching for her bone marrow donor match. We love her, and we need your help to save her life and those of many others in need of a bone marrow match.

I'll look into it and let you know as soon as I can!

There was a link to this page for people serving in the US military.

For international folks:

Here is the page on international registration, which has some countries listed. Also, you may be able to search and find other registries for each country.

I just spoke with someone who said that "all of them plug into an international registry together, though, to be searched by those who need a match", so if your country isn't listed here, try a search.

Here is one for Canada, I believe.

-The health information is HIPAA protected. I just had that confirmed with a regional organizer. Also, she says the website is fully secured.

- Here is how to update your contact information.

make sure your contact information is up to date and everything!

thanks.

Update! The drive has been extended so that you can begin registering now! Do this by going to www.marrow.org and using the code BK04139.

Free registration begins today!
Thanks again!

I just got this:

Thank your friend for trying to register! I'm very sorry, but we have unfortunately reached our funding quota for Caucasian registrants. The Federal Government funds Be the Match registration for minorities and those of mixed heritage because of their severe shortage in the Registry. Due to funding limitations, at the moment, the BK041309 code will only allow Caucasians to register at a reduced rate (more than 50% off), but it will not be free of charge. However, all minority registrants will remained funded until the end of the drive.

Everyone can also always find an in person registry, which is free.

bump

Because of more funding, as of this morning registration is again FREE for EVERYONE using the code!!!