Monday, June 8, 2009

National Marrow Donor Program


Last year my friend Michelle put up a blog post about the Marrowthon the National Marrow Donor Program puts together. It is a chance for new people to join the registry program, for free.

I jumped at the chance to help save a life and went to the website to sign up. A week later I got a packet, swabbed my cheek and sent in my sample. No pain at all. This sample was tissue typed, and then on record in the national marrow registry. From that point on, every time the registry is scanned to match the tissue typing of a person in need of a bone marrow transplant, my profile will be scanned.

If you live within the United States or Puerto Rico and are interested in this, go here to register. You must be between the ages of 18-60, and please read the medical guidelines to see if you might have a condition that might disqualify you. Note that most routine medical problems that are well controlled will not disqualify you! To join and apply for the free testing, click on “Join” and fill out the short questionnaire.

This special opportunity to join the registry is time limited, so if you are interested, be sure to sign up and complete the application before 6/22/09 (or to the limit of 46,000 new members)! And remember, you just might help save someone’s life!

1 comment:

Brittany said...

I am going to help you endorse this! I have been on the list, for a little over a year, and it's SUCH a great cause! I've never been called- but I do hope I get a call someday. It's such a small thing we can do to save a life! So I encourage anyone who is weary, to really read up on it before discarding the thought of joining the list. :)