Be The Match

None of us are exempt from having heartache touch our lives, or of knowing someone who might be in a life-threatening situation. It often feels empty when we say the words, “Is there anything I can do to help?” People may not think of anything at the moment, and we leave them with the empty encouragement to “Call me if you need something.”

But here is an outstanding opportunity to help people ~ friends, loved ones, and strangers alike ~ and possibly save a life. When you hear the words ‘bone marrow transplant,’ most people (me included) think PAINFUL for giver and receiver. BUT THAT IS NOT AT ALL THE CASE!

A family acquaintance is dying of an aggressive form of leukemia and needed a bone marrow transplant. There were 18 million people around the world who didn’t match, and at the last minute the PERFECT MATCH, a complete stranger, just joined Be The Match! According to the friend’s daughter, all you need to do to join is complete a health checklist, give them your contact information, and then just swab your cheek with a Q-Tip! Voila – it is all FREE!

But here is the absolutely BEST PART to possibly saving a life. If Be The Match should ever call you someday because you are a PERFECT MATCH for someone anywhere in the world, more than 80% of the time your donation for a bone marrow transplant would consist of sitting in a chair for a few hours with a needle in your arms. In selective cases, they need to obtain the stem cells from actual bone marrow. If that is the situation, you are given a general anesthetic and a needle is used to collect cells from the back of your hip bone.

Isn’t that AMAZING? It could be that easy to save a life! Be The Match is an organization that empowers all of us to give help and hope. According to their site, over 10,000 people need a bone marrow transplant, but only half will receive one. Click on any of the links in this post and check them out. At the very least, please think about giving a donation to help them keep this going. The life you save may be a loved one.