Do You Want to Save Someone's Life?

Two years ago I donated 6,000,000 stem cells to an unrelated recipient who was diagnosed with leukemia. I didn't know his name, where he lived or who he was. I had joined the National Marrow Donor Program's Registry when I was 19, but never thought I'd get the call since my Korean and Jewish background isn't exactly common and most matches occur because of a shared ethnic background. But in December of 2006, right before the holidays, I got the call that would change my life - and my recipient's - forever.

All I was told was that this man was 29 years old and dying. I was the exact same age, but I was perfectly healthy, working as a journalist in Los Angeles and interviewing the world's most interesting and glamorous people. A few weeks later I was at UCLA Medical Center donating stem cells for eight hours. It didn't hurt, it wasn't scary and yes, I would do it again - in a heartbeat. Maybe you've never heard of the Registry. Or perhaps you have a misconception that it's painful to donate. I'm here to tell you that it's not. So why not join and have the chance to save a life?

This week, the National Marrow Donor Program renames its donor and umbilical cord blood registry, Be The Match. "There's a lack of accurate information regarding the procedures and the need," says National Marrow Donor Program Account Executive of Recruitment Anna Marie Cruz. "People are always shocked to discover that stem cell collection is the more common procedure used today and how simple it is to complete the marrow collection, which is the other possible procedure."

With so many different tissue types in the world, the challenge of finding the perfect match for a dying patient is hard to comprehend. The more people who join the Registry mean the more recipients who will get a second chance at life. "Be the Match is a call to action," says Jeffrey W. Chell, M.D., and CEO of NMDP. "You could be the one to save a life." Since tissue types are inherited, patients are most likely to match someone of their own race or ethnicity. There is a desperate need for African American, American Indian, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latino and multiracial donors.

Two year-old Hunter Zen Thawley, who has AML leukemia, found a match on the Be The Match Registry. His transplant is scheduled for next month.

By joining the Registry (which requires a simple cheek swab) you may be identified as a match for someone or you may never match anyone. But, like me, you may be the sole person on the registry of 12 million who can save a patient's life. Seventy percent of patients in need of a transplant do not have a matching donor in their family. Families, like the one behind the blog Healing Hunter, are dependent on the Be the Match Registry to find a match - and save a life.

Donating stem cells to my recipient has been the single best thing I've ever done. Waiting a year to find out if my recipient had survived was tough, but when I got that call and heard his voice, it was one of the most amazing moments of my life. We send each other cards, talk on the phone and had the chance to meet in person last November. He thanks me for saving his life, but I feel like thanking him for giving purpose to mine. While I'm not religious, I sometimes wonder if I was put on this earth for this reason.

My recipient's girlfriend Maria, who spent more than 100 days in the hospital with my recipient, Jaciel met my boyfriend Tim and I in Miami last November. Jaciel lives in Fort Myers, Florida and works as a cook.

Thousands of patients diagnosed with leukemia and other life-threatening diseases depend on you to find a match. Wondering what can you do? Grow the registry by becoming a donor, make a tax-deductible contribution or volunteer your time. Since 1987, the NMDP has provided more than 35,000 unrelated transplants to help give patients a second chance at life. Donors never pay for donating and are not paid to donate.

What is stopping you from joining the Be The Match Registry?

Comments

[bandasmom]

Thank you for sharing such an inspiring story. From time to time I am truly touched by what people do for others. Your act of selfless kindness is so much more than that. I will pass your story along to others and hope that they too get inspired and are encouraged to find a way to make a difference like you did.

[mhawes]

It is so great that you are raising awareness of a much needed cause through your actual experience. There are a lot of people out there who don't join the registry because they are scared and may not know anyone who has actually been a donor. Reading your story will remove some of their unfounded misconceptions and help save people's lives. Keep up the good work!

[TamarN]

Thanks for your inspiring story! My husband and I registered about 20 years ago but have never been called upon to donate. Maybe I'll check out the sight just to make sure my registry went through! It would be an honor to do it. I can tell that you felt honored. When we help others is when we feel most like ourselves! Thanks for the great post!

[SMendonca]

Awesome! I had heard about this in the past but had so many misconceptions. Thank you for sharing your experience­...it was ever so inspiring and you can count me in. I have always wanted to save a life and this might be the best way for me to do it. Good luck!

[diannenam]

Thank you, Victoria, for writing about your life changing experience so others can see just how easy it is to make the difference in another person living or dying. I thought of a little boy who we knew who died of leukemia and to think he might have lived had a match been found is heartbreaking. If I were not so close to the cutoff age of 60, I would definitely become a sponsor and hope others younger than me will be motivated to act after reading your insightful and moving article about this process.

[keene]

I am going to check out the site. Thank you.

[CsCcc]

This is inspiring. Its amazing what kind of impact you can have on someone else's life.

[JSOHO]

What an amazing story! Everyone should register, think how many lives we could save!

[mrssmith]

You are such an inspiration to me and countless others. I registered last year because of you, Victoria. I hope that I will someday be a match for someone in need. Thank you for being you. Friends like you are one in a million.

[brandylien]

you're so amazing and wonderful and inspirational! you've saved someone's life and that's more than most of us do in our entire lives. thanks for sharing your experience.

[Janene Zakrajsek]

Great story - thanks for sharing such a personal experience! Definitely an inspiration to people everywhere. Certainly the world is a better place because of such wonderful people like you. It's good to know that the procedure to donate isn't scary or painful, but I think it would be even more helpful to know more about the collection process -- just like donating blood. I'll check out the Registry now..thnx!

[ildustino]

Victoria, you are amazing! I think it was so great of you to do this and a lot of the many other wonderful things that you do! Great article! I will spread the word.

Thanks for being a great human being!

[jnam]

I am so proud of you, Victoria. Your one action has the potential of saving more than just one life. It's like throwing a stone into a pond and seeing the circles ripple out. Because of you, others will register and hopefully, save more lives. In addition, you have forever changed the lives of all of Jaciel's family and friends, your family and friends, and countless other unknown people.

[TMV26]

I donated bone marrow and did an apheresis blood draw for an unrelated Leukemia patient 6 years ago. The donation of bone marrow and blood cells helped him live for one more year. It is quite profound when you realize that YOU could be someone's cure/match. How can you not step up to the plate when you know that your contribution can directly affect someone's life? If you are blessed with good health and have the opportunity to somehow share it, the decision is incredibly easy. Thank you, Victoria, for helping to bring much needed attention to this cause, and especially for highlighting the fact that there is a shortage of donors of color. As a Black and Filipina woman who was 28 at the time, I ended up being a match for a 52-year old Black man that I had never met ... who would have thought?? Bless you!

[cascalon]

Such a great story. I registered a few years ago.