Bone Marrow Registration and Matching, My Experience

Boing Boing has a post on Bone Marrow Registration, which (a) surprised me as the US organisation invovled has a registration fee – the UK service via Anthony Nolan is free – but (b) reminded me I’ve already ben partially down that route, on this blog, in the past.

PLEASE consider registering…

On Receiving A Call: I am a potential match.
Just taken a call on my UK mobile here in Austin, and it’s managed to give me a little emotional nudge… The call to my mobile today was to let me know that this sample has been flagged up as a ‘coarse match’ for someone who needs bone marrow to help in their fight against leukemia.

Bloods Taken.
So the package of blood vials arrived last week, and following the instructions, I took them along to the local GP to have three vials of blood taken to go away and do a ‘deep match’ of my tissue type.

I am a match, but there is a much better one.
I’m still not sure what to think on this. Part of me is very much relieved that I won’t be going through the operation to extract the bone marrow – but the flipside is that the chance to be involved and help someone else was on my mind, and that’s been taken away. Right now I’m not sure which is the stronger feeling.