Friday, October 27, 2006

Being a donor!


 
 
Happy Friday,
Below is from a friend and coaching client...very inspiring and touching. We are all saving lives and making a difference!:)

Hi Lisa,
Thanks for your post this morning. Your blog is inspiring in so many different ways.
In a somewhat related story you might appreciate; in Jan. '05  I was a bone marrow donor. This came as a result of being on the bone marrow registry and I didn't know the person who received my bone marrow.
In these types of situations they don't tell you anything about the person on the receiving end until after some period of time has passed and the recipient requests contact.
I had heard almost nothing since the donation and often wondered how it worked out.  It's kind of a strange thing how you develop a bond with someone you don't even know. Another strange aspect is that when it was determined I was a match for this particular person they told me we were such an exact match we could be identical twins.
A couple of weeks ago The City of Hope called me and told me that the recipient had requested my contact info. Since then we have spoken on the phone and exchanged e-mails. She is 40 years old and lives in Michigan and she is doing very well in her battle with luekemia.  Her will to fight has been very inspiring to me. She still has a ways to go in building up her immune system but it looks like she will be around for many years to come and live to be an old lady.
It's funny how 7 years ago I went to the local ice rink one day to go skating and there was drive going on in the parking lot to try and find a bone marrow match for a local teenager. I gave them a blood sample, was put on the registry and forgot about it until five years later when the call came from City of Hope. Now, at 46 years old, I have a new sister. 
Life can be strange and miraculous.
Bill
 
If any of you want to be a donor go to this site!  http://www.giftoflife.org/donors/6.html
 
Have a wonderful weekend!
 
I am going to try and do a 7-8 hour going 7/3 on Sat. wish me luck. It is going to be in the 50s and sunny here for the next 5 days:):)

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