historicalreference

I don't have any questions - just wanted to say thanks.

My wife is alive today because someone like you went to the trouble to make a gift of bone marrow.

It's been 13 years since her transplant. My son - approaching his 15th birthday - has grown up knowing his mother because someone did exactly what you're doing right now. I have my wife, her parents still have a daughter, her siblings a sister, her many nieces and nephews an aunt, and so on.

Thank you.

The word hero gets tossed around a lot these days. So much so that the word's meaning has eroded somewhat over time. In the truest sense of the word, you and people like you are heroes. What might feel like a simple sacrifice for you may literally be life for someone else.

Well done.

Bone marrow donation may not be for you.

Prior to registration you are asked to seriously consider whether or not you can commit to the procedure. Although you could, of course, back out at any time, doing so would have serious implications for the intended recipient. Imagine what it would be like for that person and their family to hear that a match had been found, only to hear later that the donor decided not to go through with it. Not only would that be an emotionally difficult experience, but the process of preparing to receive the donation might have involved carefully timed radiation and chemotherapy treatments. A donor who backed out at the last minute might be responsible for significant medical costs, both in terms of financial investment and in terms of health consequences.