Save a life with a cheek swab
Categories: Health & safety, In the news
It is not often that the average person has the opportunity to save a life, but reader Meredith shared a link where a cheek swab could be the difference between life and death for a person in need.
Laura Cisneros-Rayman is a wife, mother, NMSU alum, and an Alpha Xi Delta. She's also twenty-seven years old and was diagnosed with leukemia last year. Her website, Bone Marrow for Laura is set up to allow people to join the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry for free.
There are many myths and misinformation about bone marrow donation. One of the most common is that becoming a donor requires a surgical procedure. In reality, the most common request by doctors is for blood-forming cells, which are taken blood from the donor's arm, the desired cells removed, and the blood replaced through the donor's other arm.
When actual bone marrow is required, it is extracted under general anesthesia with a long needle. The donor is in mild discomfort for a few days, which isn't much of a sacrifice at all when one considers the procedure might cure a deadly disease and give a young mother many more years with her family.
A chance to be a life saving superhero that starts with a simple cheek swab? That's pretty amazing.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kathy 3-29-2008 @ 10:33PM
My husband got a phone call from the National Marrow Donor Registry the other night informing him that initial analysis shows that his marrow is a match for a 6-year-old girl that has leukemia. They wanted to make sure he's willing to donate before they do more extensive testing. Of course he's willing! I blogged about it the other day at http://www.kchblog.com.
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Connie Poore 4-04-2008 @ 11:04PM
Bone Marrow Drive for Laura Rayman tomorrow please pray for a great turnout!!!
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