Be a Miracle.

So you guys may have noticed the new little button up to the right here....

It's for the DKMS bone marrow registry.  I found their website a few months ago, and I was blown away with all of the things I didn't know about bone marrow donation.

1. If you are chosen as a match, they're not going to strap you down and stick a giant needle in your hip.  Many times, they can get the cells they need from your blood via the veins in your arms.  Sometimes, they can't, and they gotta go in and get that marrow.  But, they knock you out so you don't feel a thing, and you don't even have to stay overnight at the hospital.
2. Every single person that is added to the registry is new hope for someone dying.  There is only a 1 in 540 chance that a person on the registry will be matched with someone in need of a life-saving marrow donation, but you just may be that one person that is the last hope for someone out there.  Think about that.
3. Getting entered in the registry is easy.  It's a cheek swab.  That's it.  They sent me an envelope with two Q-tips, I swabbed my cheek, sealed them up, and sent them back in, postage paid.  That's it.
4. It's free.  They waive the costs associated with cheek-swab... although donations are very much needed.
5. If you get matched, they'll pay your medical bills.  If you're lucky enough to be identified as a match for someone, you don't need to worry about paying for anything associated with the donation.
6. There are thousands of people waiting to find a match.  A lot of them are little kids with leukemia.  You could save their life.  

Did anyone see The Lion King Broadway production?  Do you remember the beautiful little girl with the amazing voice who played Nala?

Source

Her name is Shannon Taverez, and she was diagnosed with leukemia.  Last year, at the age of 11, she died because doctors weren't able to find a match for her.  Could any of us have been that match?  Is it possible there's another little kid out there who is dying that we could be a match for?


It's estimated that 6 out of 10 people who need a marrow transplant die without ever finding a match.  The only way to change that is to grow the registry.  Every single person needs to be added to the registry.  What if it was you, your husband, your child, diagnosed with leukemia?

BE THE MATCH.

Go click on that box up there and sign up.  Do it right now.  They'll send you a kit.  You send it back.  That's it.