Unpaid announcement: bone marrow

On behalf of a friend of a friend -- Karen Mellow Stock was diagnosed in December 2008 with lymphoma, a life threatening disease. Karen’s only chance at a cure is through a bone marrow transplant from a genetically matched donor. Finding a donor is critical to her survival. Imagine what you would do if someone you love were in this situation. Please help in any of three ways: (DFW area) Join us on Sunday, March 29th, at North Park Center (lower level near Dillards department store mall entrance) from 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. DKMS, the largest marrow donor registrant center in the world will be on-hand for you to register to be a bone marrow donor and potentially save a life. (anywhere in the US) Go register online at www.dkmsamericas.org to become a marrow donor or pledge a monetary donation. (anywhere in the US) Pass this message on to your friends and family in hope that they may find it in their hearts to participate in this cause. To keep up with Karen’s progress – visit her website: http://www.lotsahelpinghands.com/c/609264/ A few things you should know about registering to be a donor: · You don’t have to give blood or bone marrow to register. All you need to do is swab the inside of your cheeks and send it to a lab to be tissue typed. Once you are processed, your information is stored anonymously in the registry until your 61st birthday, unless you request to be removed. · There is a misconception that donating bone marrow is a complicated, painful procedure. There are two ways to donate. 70%-80% of the time, stem cells are collected from the donors’ blood, similar to donating plasma. 20%-30% of the time bone marrow is withdrawn from the hip (not spine) using a special syringe. It is an out-patient procedure done with local or general anesthesia. Thanks for your help! I am doing my part by registering to be a donor.