bone.marrow

Last fall, I was contacted by the blood center at children's hospital and told that the antigens in my platelets had been matched to a child. Platelets aren't type specific (it doesn't matter if you have O-, AB, O+, etc) but when children are going through serious procedures, it can be helpful to have the antigens match in order to reduce their rejection rate. I went in every week during that six week period, and it really made a difference knowing that my platelets were helping this specific child. They weren't able to give me any info on him, but my platelet bag was labeled with his name, and after doing a web search, I learned that he had a rare disease called malignant infantile osteopetrosis (MIOP). It's a condition where the bones are overly dense which eventually causes bone marrow failure. Without a bone marrow transplant, babies with MIOP often die before they turn one. 70% of children with MIOP die by the age of six, and almost 100% die by the age of ten without curative therapy. I found a site that documents another baby's struggle with MIOP, and as I browsed through the updates, pictures and guest book, I couldn't imagine being in a similar situation. I put myself on the bone marrow donor list several years ago, and encourage you to do the same. The chances of being matched with someone are very remote, but the possibility of saving a life should be worth any inconvenience in getting yourself on that list. So go do it. Now.