MarrowDrives.org
We're about to have our own bone marrow registration drive at IDEO and the site MarrowDrives.org has been so inspirational/helpful. They host a full toolkit of helpful items and I had to share. (click the image below to see the supercool animation)
Written by Katie Clark
When my cousin Tami, that's her on the right, was diagnosed with a blood cancer called Myelodysplasia we were told that she would need a stem cell transplant. I learned all I could as fast as I could about her condition, the marrow donor process and about stem cell and marrow transplants.
As I read websites and talked to donor programs on the phone I went through a range of emotions:
• I was shocked at the statistics I read regarding the low percentages of ethnic minorities in the donor registry.
• Stunned that there are people who decline to donate when notified they are someone's potentially life saving match.
• Heartbroken to learn so few people in need ever find a match.
• I was also relieved, grateful and impressed beyond belief by the donor programs and recruitment groups who all so quickly and willingly shared information and support with me when I contacted them.
My experience building the HelpingTami.org website to try to help my cousin find a marrow match has led me down a new path, that of advocate for those in need. I quickly realized that one way I could help was to create more publicity and help teach others how to do the same to help educate the general public not only that the donor programs exist but that they can help to make a difference beyond registering themselves. They can help to spread the word. This is an absolute necessity if we are going to raise awareness to inspire others to get registered themselves.
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