Until funding runs out, you can join the bone marrow donor registry for FREE. It normally costs $52.00.
When a cancer patient needs a life saving transplant, their doctor searches the National Bone Marrow Registry for a donor. The donor must have very similar DNA typing to be a sucessful match, which can be difficult, sometimes impossible to find. Dawn was unable to find a suitable marrow donor in the registry. That's why we need YOU to join!
Becoming a donor is very easy to do and you may be the ONLY match for someone needing a life saving transplant.
1. Goto http://www.marrow.org/ and click "JOIN". 
2. After registering online (FOR FREE!), you'll receive a cheek swab kit (below) in the mail as well as some other literature.
3. There are easy directions. (click on the picture to read)
4. Using one of the 4 swabs, after swallowing, rub the inside of your cheek for 10 seconds.
5. Using the included bar code stickers, wrap the end of the swab to identify you during testing.
6. Place the swab in the foam holder then repeat with the three other swabs. You should use each swab in a different area of your inner cheek. (upper right, upper left, lower right, lower left)
7. You'll place a "bio hazard" sticker on the folder to secure it closed. Then place it in the pre-paid envelope.
8. Mail it and you're done! Congrats!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Join the Marrow Registry for FREE! Normally $52.00
Posted by Mike at 9:00 AM
Labels: become a donor
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13 Comments:
I did it.
This post is great, especially the photos and instructions. My name is Stacy Thieszen and I work with Be The Match Registry. I'm one of the people contributing to our new Be The Match blog (http://bethematch.typepad.com). I'd love to include a link to your post, if it's all right with you.
Thanks for posting this Mike! You and Dawn's family are truly amazing!
Julie-one of Dawn's nurses
I have CML and found Dawn's blog through the LLS.org discussion boards. My daughter were both following Dawn's blog. My daughter held a bone marrow donor registry at her university in April and had over 130 people join the registry. Dawn really did affect our lives. Thanks for sharing her journey with us.
6 months ago...wow...time has flown by and we miss Dawn now as much as ever. There is a huge hole in our lives but the Grace of God is awesome and sees us through. I am at my annual church conference and have broken down in tears several times as I remember different things about Dawn. Playing with her here at Lakeside OH, the memorial service that the conference had for those who died this year and included the kids of clergy. I found out yesterday that another pastor in the conference who had a daughter who died from luekemia at 30. We spent some time together with the pastor and his wife nd cried together about the loss of our lovely daughters. If you have lost someone to luekemia, I want to urge you to seek God, spend time in fellowship with people who care about you and offer moral and spiritual support. The church that I serve has been great. Time passes and some aspects hurt less. Our family went to Hawaii for three weeks for Dawn's brother Steve's college graduation. She would have wanted that. We had an awesome time but spent time honoring and missing Dawn. I sopend alot of extra time in prayer, worship and Bible reading to help me through. Her brothers are doing better and her mother is still struggling greatly. Those months in ICU were HARD on her, but she too is leaning on God's everlasting arms. God will see us through and we continue to pray for Mike and others who were in Dawn's life. I come back to this site periodically to focus my prayers and my thoughts on what I need to do in the battle against CML. I will probably do some writing and a book may eventually come of this but mostly I am going to spend time praying and seeking God. I hope that you will join me and Mike in continuing to ask the right questions about CML and trying to make a difference. Blessings. Pastor Steve Nelson, Dawn's Dad
This post is actually for Dawn's dad...I've been wishing I had a way to contact your family and I am hoping that eventually you will read this post. I met you and your wife a couple of times while Dawn and I were at Asbury. I was one of her roommates our senior year but she and I were good friends all through college. Words can't even describe how much I miss Dawn. It's hard to even think about my time at Asbury because almost EVERY single memory I have of college includes Dawn. Anyway, the reason I wanted to get in touch with you (and I hope that this is not out of line) is that I have quite a few pictures of Dawn that were taken over the four years at Asbury and I also collaborated on several projects with Dawn that I have copies of around my house and I was wondering if you and your wife would like to have copies of any of those things. They've been a comfort to me; I get everything out periodically and remember Dawn and all the fun times we had together. Sometimes it's so hard for me to realize she's gone, I didn't see her often after we graduated, so sometimes it seems like she is still out there somewhere until the next time we reconnect. She was amazing. Please let me know if you are interested in anything I have to share. I also offered to send Mike Tiffee and although I've been slow in getting it all together, I'll be mailing some stuff to him also. You're all in my prayers. My e-mail is mljames@soon.com
Would love to have the photos, my email address is pastorsteve@livingfaithumc.org so we can get you other address to send pics to. Words hardly express how much we all miss her and ache for her loss. We have received much comfort and strength from friends, family, faith. Blessings. Pastor Steve, Dawn's Dad
A couple of weeks ago Dawn's "adopted sister" Becky had her second baby a girl and named her after Dawn. Christy will travel to Arizona to meet a new grand-daughter. We are doing better. The trip to Hawaii for Steven's graduation was good for us with a sad edge. God's grace is truly sufficient. Dawn's Dad.
Thank you-I've been meaning to join since my husband was diagnosed with NH Lymphoma last year. My kit is now on it's way. I followed Dawn's journey via her blog (you don't know me), and check back every once in a while to see if you've posted and how you are doing. God bless you.
Well, It has now been 11 months since Dawn died. Each month is hard but this last month with her birthday, then Thanksgiving and coming up to the 1 year mark are so hard. But God's grace means more than I can say. I urge any of you still coming to this site who have not already joined the registry to join and make a difference. Your blood products, donations, time and efforts for cancer and CML are vital. Your joining the registry for marrow donors might be the difference in keeping someone's daughter, son, husband, wife, motehr or father alive. So go ahead and do it...I know you can. Blessings in the house. Pastor Steve Nelson, Dawn's dad
As you get ready for this Christmas, know that none of us know how much time we have left with people we love. Last Christmas was so hard because it was the day after when she went into cardiac arrest and then we began the hard journey to the end with her on this side of eternity. Love God. Love one another. Become a donor of blood products, join the registry...choose to make a difference. Love big. Perhaps this will be the year towards a cure for cml. Blessings and prayers from the Nelsons.
Thinking of you all this Christmas again. Dawn is much missed..
love and light
Annie
I honestly can't believe it's already been a year since Dawn's passing... I never knew her, but her brother, Will, is my best friend, and I followed this blog vigilantly. I continue to pray for Mike, Christy, Pastor Steve, Steve, and the rest of Dawn's loving family. Blessings this new year. With love, Erica.
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