During my grandfather's cancer treatment eighteen months ago, I became aware of the nonprofit organization, Be The Match. It amazed me at how easy it is to get on the registry and become a bone marrow donor. Donating bone marrow to someone in need can save their life and Be The Match successfully does this with 4,800 out of the 10,000 people that need transplants annually. My grandfather didn't end up needing to use Be The Match for his donation, but I learned how important it was to get on the registry wanted to get involved to potentially help to save a life.Be The Match is led by the National Bone Marrow Donor Program and assists people with leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell, or any other disease that need bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplants. Founded by Admiral E.R. Zumwalt Jr. and his wife 25 years ago after losing their son to lymphoma, they have successfully found new ways of improving the bone marrow donation process. They have been able to find donors for almost half of the people who annually need this donation and their mission is to fulfill every needed transplant. In addition to obtaining donors, an important aspect of Be The Match's mission is to raise awareness for this cause. Over the years, they have found new and painless ways of performing bone marrow transplants and want the public to know that it doesn't cause the pain it once did. There are many myths associated with bone marrow donation that Be The Match aims to bust. All that is required is your time and you could save a life.
How does it work? It’s simple. Register with your information and answer a few questions about your basic health. After this is complete, Be The Match will send you the registration kit for you to swab the inside of your cheek and send the kit back to them. Once this is done, they will add you to the registry to determine if you are a match for anyone in need of a donation. Be The Match covers the $100 fee that it costs to register new donors, but financial donations are very much appreciated to help with this expense. Be The Match saves thousands of life’s every year due to the time and work they have put forth for 25 years. For them to continue to save lives and make an impact on the future, become a donor and save someone’s life. REGISTER NOW and take a little time out of your day to change a persons life forever.
If you're not already convinced, maybe Caden's story can convince you to get on the registry! Caden’s story is just one of the many life-saving stories.....
