# Please join the National Bone Marrow Registry for free NOW!



## courtenay_e (Sep 1, 2005)

Hey, have I told you that I am a bone marrow donor? There is a grant right now for ANYBODY to join the registry for free (it's usually $52). I am pushing hard for 50 people I have contact with to donate before the end of the grant deadline!

You can do it in about fifteen minutes, tops. Fill out a form online BY MONDAY (if you do it after that you will have to pay) but why not just do it now?! You join at marrow.org/join then you put in the PROMO CODE: *BTMLDET*
...it is case sensitive, so please use all caps. They will send you a swab kit in the mail to get a swab of your cheek cells, and that's it. You're on the registry. Simple stuff! Please PLEASE do consider joining.

My recipient was a 39 year old man with chronic myloginous leukemia, who had less than a 5% survival rate. He is still alive five years later! I did it with a six month old, a two year old, and a husband who had just come home from having a twelve pound tumor removed from his abdomen. It doesn't hurt that bad. I was off of motrin within 48 hours (I think it was closer to 24). You are achey when you sit and stand for about a month, and sleepy for a few days after harvest. You CAN join if you are pregnant but cannot donate until you are post partum. You must be between the ages of 18 and 60 to join. Please please copy this and send it to anybody you think would be willing to join before monday for free! There are so many people (like your child, your husband, your mother, your brother...) waiting for a match! We especially need people of african american, native american, hispanic/latino, pacific islander, and jewish descent!!!

Please, please, please join. And have your spouse do it too, if they are willing!!! And anybody else you know.

Thanks friends! (hey will you let me know if you or anybody you know joins, so that I can keep a tally for my goal? thanks! )


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## annekka (Nov 19, 2001)

Thanks for posting, I joined  I'm a regular blood donor and I've always wanted to do join the bone marrow registry too but never got around to it until I saw your post. I'll let you know if I get matched!


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## courtenay_e (Sep 1, 2005)

THANK YOU!!!









Come on, Mamas! Save a life! You have a little over an hour and a half!


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## HappyHappyMommy (Mar 9, 2009)

Thank you for posting this Courtenay. I'm glad to hear that you were able to match so many recipients. I know someone who received marrow through this registry and to say that it was life-changing feels both so obvious and so much of an understatement.

Joining this registry is something that my partner and I have been meaning to do for a long time and we're very glad we finally spent a few minutes and got the paperwork done. So, count us as 2 on your list. I also passed along this information to some friends, so hopefully there will be some other new donors thanks to your reminder of this important issue.


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## courtenay_e (Sep 1, 2005)

Awesome! I am so glad that it motivated you! Thank you so so much for joining. Anybody else? You can do it, it's just a few minutes filling out a form with simple info. Come on, a little less than an hour left!


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## KaylaBeanie (Jan 27, 2009)

I'm not sure if it was a fluke or something, but I clicked on your link, planning to get the information and ask for the $52 to register for Christmas...however, it let me join for free! I've been meaning to join since turning 18, and I hope I get the chance to donate. I donate blood every 8 weeks and am listed as an organ donor. Someday when I have kids, I hope to donate breastmilk. I guess I like donating bodily fluids


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## CallMeMommy (Jun 15, 2005)

I signed up at work during a free drive about 8 years ago







Haven't been called yet, but I'm in there! I'm also a blood and organ donor (actually gave my mom half my liver 7 years ago).


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

I joined about 10 years ago and have been called twice for secondary blood work, but have never actually been a donor. I always make sure my info is updated with them whenever I have a change of job or address or phone number though. Such a great program!


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## AllyRae (Dec 10, 2003)

As someone who can't register due to having a bone marrow condition that one day may require a transplant, THANK YOU to everyone who takes the time to register!!


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## LiLStar (Jul 7, 2006)

I just looked up upcoming drives and it turns out there's one about 45 miles from me tomorrow! If we can swing it last minute, dh and I just might go


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## prothyraia (Feb 12, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *KaylaBeanie* 
I'm not sure if it was a fluke or something, but I clicked on your link, planning to get the information and ask for the $52 to register for Christmas...however, it let me join for free! I've been meaning to join since turning 18, and I hope I get the chance to donate. I donate blood every 8 weeks and am listed as an organ donor. Someday when I have kids, I hope to donate breastmilk. I guess I like donating bodily fluids









That link just worked for my husband and I as well just now.


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## babygrant (Mar 10, 2005)

Aww I was going to register but I have a blood clotting disorder.


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