Info on how to be a BONE MARROW DONOR!

Van has three possible bone marrow matches (which are giving stem cells instead of marrow) but many have asked how they could sign up to save a life. We know of at least one person on our Hospital floor that still can’t find a bone marrow match and is receiving ongoing Chemo until they do. This is how you can be a bone marrow donor. Please go to:

http://www.marrow.org
Click on “Join the Registry”
Click “Join now”

My friend went to the web-site and registered and this is what she said about it:
“I went to the website and registered. I will be sent a kit for a cheek swab and then send it back in for testing. It took about 30 minutes to do the online registration. Post on your blog to have people go there and register. The kit is normally $52.00 but the promotional code waived the fee.”

I put in Tooele’s Zip code and searched for 200 miles and it said, “Currently there are no donor registry drives publicly listed in your area so you will need to sign up on-line.”

These are the 5 things that are necessary before you can proceed:
Age: I am between the ages of 18 and 60.
Health: I am in overall good health and meet medical guidelines.
Commitment: I am willing to donate to any patient in need and I understand the donation process.
I live in the United States or Puerto Rico: If you live outside the United States or Puerto Rico, please contact a donor center in the country where you live.
I am not in the U.S. military: If you are in the U.S. military, please contact the C.W. Bill Young Marrow Donor Center in Kensington, Md., to join the Registry.
I have not already joined: Be The Match Registry is the new name for the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry. Whether you joined the NMDP Registry or Be The Match Registry, in person or online, you are part of the same registry. If you have already given a blood sample or cheek cell sample to be tested for the registry, you do not need to join again. If you're not sure whether you've already joined, you can call us at 1 (800) MARROW-2 (1-800-627-7692).

Update: Van was so miserable this morning it was hard to sit up and partake of the sacrament let alone keep his eyes open. I hummed lots of hymns, prayed together or I prayed for him and we read the scriptures together. I asked him which particular scripture he would like me to read and he said, 2 Nephi 4. I start reading the chapter heading, “Lehi counsels and blesses his posterity. He dies and is buried. “ I stopped right there and said, I’m not going to read this chapter! He said to continue so I did, “Nephi glories in the goodness of God to him. Nephi puts his trust in the Lord forever.” He wanted me to read about putting his trust in the Lord forever. At this point, I decided if the nausea medicines aren’t working and Roxycodone and Benadryl put him out last night then why couldn’t we just do that for him today? He went to sleep after that and only woke up once to ask me to email something to the Stake Presidency. At least he is finally resting peacefully. They are going to help him rest again tonight and take him off his Chemo. We are hoping by tomorrow afternoon he will be feeling better. He will also get a scan of his gallbladder and liver to make sure they aren’t the problem. Here is hoping for a happy and awake tomorrow.