Bone Marrow Donors

I'm a sympathetic crier. That doesn't mean I'm not a tough person. I'm a fighter, a survivor, but most of all, I'm a humanitarian. Ever since I was little, I couldn't hear a story and not feel affected by it. I'd laugh or cry as if the story were mine and I could swear I felt every giddy moment--and likewise--every heartbreak.

I think it's a good thing. It makes me charitable. Every time I get a dollar, I wonder how I can make half of it work for someone other than myself. There are so many good causes out there...organizations and people that make a difference in the world.

The sheer numbers of people and conditions that need our help is daunting. There's no way we can help them all. We'd go broke.

But for some things you don't need money. Some things only cost time. One thing...comes to my mind.

Bone Marrow.

Foolishly, I always thought that I would never donate bone marrow. "I've heard it hurts, and I hurt enough every day, thank you very much. Besides, there are millions of people who donate and they can find the donors they need in their family and friends."

I'm not ashamed to admit I was a jerk a few years ago--only because I've seen the error of my ignorance and worked hard at educating others.



Registering for Bone Marrow Donation is as simple as a swab in the mouth, and the donation experience if you are a match for someone, isn't what you think either. Check out the myths HERE.

What bothers me, is that barely anyone is registered. Only a few million people...and usually only because someone they know and love is in need. But we need to change that my friends!! Go in for a check-up. Ask your doctor to give you a swab for bone marrow registration. Why?

Imagine your mother, your father, your sibling or worse...your child--is dying, and all they need is to find someone who is a donor match. It could come from anyone out there! And all the donor would have to do is feel some discomfort for an hour or so to save your child's ENTIRE LIFE!! Imagine how frustrating it would be to know that person was walking around out there as your child draws their last breath and there's nothing you can do. You've done everything--you've tapped into every friend and friend of a friend you can, but none of them matched.

I can be rather abrasive on this, I know. But let me take a different spin.

Imagine you're a regular guy or gal, who reads something about bone marrow donation that made you think.. "Hey, why not?" and you get your cheek swabbed and find out you're a match. You've gone from regular guy/gal to life-saving hero. You've given someone a chance at longevity that no one else could.

Imagine how amazing it would feel to be the giver of life.

Talk with your doctor. Learn How To Register


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Heart Health

When I was thirteen years old, I walked into my house after being called out of school early, and was shocked to see my mother in my kitchen with red, swollen eyes. I had that moment of panic where I wanted someone to tell me what was going on right now! I didn't want them to stall and think of a way to break the news to me.

My uncle Butch died of a heart attack, they'd said. He'd had them before and was on medication to prevent more, and he seemed to be doing well. But I think, like many others before him, he thought medication would be enough. He'd be fine. It proved to be untrue. He was 45.

I kept thinking, if I'd been older, if I'd been able to bully him around and make him take care of himself, I could've saved him. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one in my family with bad habits. My grandmother, years later, passed away. Her horrible eating habits coupled with her smoking habit took her earlier than we'd all thought. A few years later, my second uncle passed away. A triple bypass bought him some time, but in the end, poor eating, alcohol and smoking took him too young. He was 55.

My grandfather was the last, so far, to be taken.

As I look at my mother--the last of my family on her side--I see all of the mistakes her brothers and parents made reoccurring in her, and I'm determined to eradicate them not just from her life, but from mine.

To change bad habits, you first have to figure out what they are. Of course we all know that smoking and excessive drinking are bad for the heart, but there's a lot of things we do every day (or don't do) that increases our risk of heart disease. I implore all of you to follow the link to discover the best way to proceed with your life in a heart healthy way!

Now what about heart health for children? Here are some facts taken from American Heart Association:

Thousands of infants born each year have congenital cardiovascular defects. Of those who have these defects,

4–10 percent have atrioventricular septal defect.
8–11 percent have coarctation of the aorta.
9–14 percent have tetralogy of Fallot.
10–11 percent have transposition of the great arteries.
14–16 percent have ventricular septal defects.
4–8 percent have hypoplastic left heart syndrome

Other children will develop acquired heart disease. This includes...

Arrhythmias.
Cardiomyopathies.
Kawasaki disease.
Rheumatic fever.
Familial hypercholesterolemia will affect the future of an unknown but probably large number of children.
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) with its myocarditis.

This all means there are children out there whose little hearts can't support them and we need research and better medication, as well as better education for all.

In honor of this, I'm asking you, my friends, peers, and new acquaintances, to donate to these great causes to further research and extend the reaches of heart health education.

American Heart Association
Children's Heart Link


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