I thought she was just a happy-go-lucky, snarky (where did she get that?), spoiled, self-involved suburban kid. She liked punk and the Juliana Theory and Boyssetsfire and all kinds of music that set my teeth on edge. She punted on a 4 year college for the CIA because the skinny twerp loves food. She's spent the last few years jaunting around the Pacific rim, diploma in hand living the life of Reilly. Truly a charmed life.
So, I was completely gobsmacked when I got a call from the National Marrow Donor Program asking to speak to her.
Wha? Huh? She signed up to be a marrow donor several years ago? Back when I thought she was just another irresponsible semi-adult with a selfish streak she signed up to help someone? No way.
Way.
Yep, there's someone out there who's a possible match. A leukemia patient to be exact. Well, we don't know how exact yet because there's still some HLA typing to do. I gave the program her new phone number. I hope it works out.
But I still can't get over this. Could it be that she was moved to donate because I am a transplant recipient myself? I had a corneal transplant many years ago because I suffer from a weird eye disease called keratoconus. My vision was uncorrectable without it and I was in danger of my compromised cornea losing all structural integrity and causing real damage to my eye. I am very grateful that the man who donated his eye to me took the time to check the little box on his driver's license application.
Kossacks, if you are looking for that one thing you can contribute to the world before the end of the year runs out at midnight, consider making a gift of life by becoming an organ or marrow donor. It's really important that you let your family know about this too. Because in the event that your suffer a catastrophic loss of life, your family may be too distraught to make this decision for you.
One person can help two people who need kidneys, a person who needs a liver, a person who needs a heart, burn patients who need skin grafts, two people who will be able to see. There are many other tissues that can be used as well and until we get stem cell research back on track, organ donation may be the only option for people desperately in need.
So, check that box on your license application and encourage others to do so as well. Your mother will be so proud.
Here's a place to start:OrganDonor.gov