Alan and Joy - a bone marrow donation story

Joy donated her bone marrow to Alan to save his life. One year later, they met, and Alan is now a father of twins.

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• bone
• marrow
• donor
• story

[sprinklefriend]

i'm getting tested to join the national marrow registry. also being tested to see if i'm a match to donate one of my kidneys to a guy i've heard about but never met. give life!!!

[sentimentalworker]

I was a bone marrow donor in 2004 and the procedure is nothing to fear. I would do it again in a heartbeat!

[ChrisAstro30]

@EMBOBZ2112 guess you are too young.

[brniccarvalho]

Yes, I think you would be. In Canada at least you have to be between the ages of 17-50 (18 if you are in Quebec). Peace.

[EMBOBZ2112]

I would like to be a donor :D but im 15 ... am i too young or? :/

[sprinklefriend]

thanks for the heads up. i'm already aware of all of that - i have to stop gymnastics.

[Violinstef]

I joined the registry, too! But I read that only .5% of members had actually donated. I wonder if anyone will ever need my help; I am Italian and Irish in descent, as a lot of people in my part of the country are.

[Violinstef]

I always say something when I hear about living kidney donors. I think you're really brave for offering to give someone you don't know such a great gift! My mother died waiting for a kidney 4 years ago; I was 14 years old and she was 47. I will tell you what she told me...my mother never wanted a living donor because she was afraid that the donor would lose their other kidney. You can injure a kidney quite badly playing sports or in a bad fall. You're very young, so just be careful.

[sprinklefriend]

thanks for the heads up, but i've obviously already thought about all the consequences. the truth is - and NOTHING against your father AT ALL - he probably was older than i am at 22, and your body reacts differently when you're younger. i know the family, just not the guy who'd get my kidney...

as for scars, i already have 1 from a hernia and 1 that's 4inches, from my brain surgery when they ran tubing through my body, if scars make your decision, that's just really sad imho.

[tonytrilex]

if you decide to donate your kidney prepare to have a lot of weight gain, my father donated one of his kidney's to my uncle who died before I was born. Its painful after he said your other kidney grows bigger because its now working as one prepare for the consequences. If I was you id only do something like that for someone I know. plus the scar is huge they use staples to sew it back up.