Be The Match
July 17th marks the day I walked off of the bone marrow transplant unit 21 years ago. While it’s been a very long time, and cancer is old news for me, it is today’s headline for many.
It’s not old news for the patient who is waiting for a life saving donor match. It is not old news for the parent, who is hoping and praying for a match to appear for his/her sick child.
My first introduction to this procedure was in 1982 when little brother, Josh, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. He was extremely sick upon diagnosis, had difficulty achieving a swift remission, and ultimately relapsed all within an eight- month period.
Bone Marrow Transplants were still the new and last resort treatment on the block and my brother was unfortunately a candidate because of the latter.
Since marrow donors are matched by genetics, race, and ethnicity the best matches are generally siblings. Being the only other child in my family we did hold out much hope that I’d be a match. Your odds are greatly enhanced if you come from a large family. Since most families these days are not large (average number of kids per family is now 1.86 in the U.S.), they must rely on the bone marrow registry to find a donor match for their loved one with a blood cancer, such as leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma to name a few.
Fortunately, I was a match. I donated my bone marrow and then my platelets for the five weeks after transplantation before my brother succumbed to infection. It is horrific to watch a child die, especially one that you love with all of your heart.
Josh and I were in several research studies at the time and I truly believe that much was learned from our experience that benefits patients today. In fact I know this to be true because in 1991, I myself, had to undergo a bone marrow transplant for relapsed Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (I was diagnosed two years after his death).
I had a solid tumor in my chest and my bone marrow was not diseased so that I was able to have an autologous transplant and use my own marrow. This kind of transplant is much less complicated, but I did get to see first hand many of the advances in this very special genre.
I had a solid tumor in my chest and my bone marrow was not diseased so that I was able to have an autologous transplant and use my own marrow. This kind of transplant is much less complicated, but I did get to see first hand many of the advances in this very special genre.
The most glaring difference was the fact that it ran like clockwork. There were specific protocols in place and they were carried out with confidence by a competent, encouraging staff. If it felt like that in 1991, I cannot even imagine how the process is now.
In the 21 years since my transplant I…
Finished my bachelors, obtained a Masters, got married, gave birth to a beautiful daughter, divorced, found meaningful work, cook, read, weep, laugh, travel, eat fabulous food, and enjoy amazing friends…and these are just the cliff notes.
EVERYONE deserves the chance to experience and create a life. Because of my experiences and the great empathy I feel for those who are now in the position of needing a donor, I have included a “Be The Match” box on my homepage at www.vegicouture.com. This registry is part of the National Marrow Donor Program and has all the information needed to enter into the registry. I will be posting a bone marrow donor FAQ page on my website very soon and will post a blog about my two experiences with the donation process itself.
It is my wish that you consider joining the registry (if you are between the ages of 18-60) and share the gift of life. It is much easier than you may imagine and could end up being the most gratifying experience of your life.
