Many years ago I dated a man who was diagnosed with Luekemia.  It advanced rapidly and he needed a bone marrow transplant.  He was adopted and his parents had no idea how to find his birth family.  They turned to the bone marrow donor program unsuccessfully.  He passed away not long after. I think of him sometimes when I see a man with steel blue eyes or a commercial for Nikon cameras….he loved his camera.  I had my first Harley expereince on the back of his candy apple red bike.  Yikers, that was a long time ago.

Years later I was approached and asked to sign up for the bone marrow donor program, which I gladly did.  Nothing came about for years, even decades and about two months ago, I received a call that I was a match.  Wow.  I have to admit, I paniced a bit remembering the sound of the needle going into Eddie’s hip bone to extract a sample.  I was nervous.  Over the next few weeks I did the interview and medical history questionarie and continued to progress through this process.  The people at Be the Match were great. They explained the methods of collecting the bone marrow for the patient. I began to feel better and was ready to do this. The procedure was set with a due of November 4th, ironcally, my grandmother Amelia’s birthday.

Today, I received an email informing me that I was not sleected to proceed on behalf of this pateinet for a number of reasons. All I could think of was the reson that was not stated… that the patient passed away.  I was very saddened by this and I felt guily for having that brief conversatuon with myself about how scary it would be to donate.  Really?  I saw first hand how scary it would be to die from a disease, forget the donor part.

So I am blessed with the followers and viewers of this blog over 13,000 of you!  I receive Facebook posts and comments and emails from people who share their expereinces with me based on the content of a particular post.  Well I am now asking you to please to go Be the Match and sign up to be a donor.  Please.

In high school a fellow classmate was killed in a car accident.  I really liked him and I was heart broken when I learned of his death.  To this day, I cannot listen to Carolina in my Mind by James Taylor without hearing his voice.  After he died, I gave blood every 3 months for years.  I need to go back and do that again.

You can donate old suits and professional clothes to Dress for Success ; donate to Habitate for Humanity, the Red Cross, your local church or any where you feel you can help. Check off that box on your drivers license or go to New York Organ Donor Network  and sign up! I try very hard not to get on a soapbox with this blog becasue noone likes to be preached to so I ask your forgiveness at the same time I ask for your help.

I will think of that pateient tonight as I go to sleep; I will think of Eddie and the other friends and family that have lost their lives that may have had a second chance with a donor. When I drive to White Plains on the Taconic, I pass at least 11 road side memorials marking the site of a fatal accident. I make the sign of the cross for each and every one of them. I wonder if those poeple donated their organs.  My friend Rita’s husband received a heart from a young man who died in an accident.  She lost him recently but was blessed for the extra time with Bill. My roommate

Ok, enough said, I apologize.  Please be a donor. Save a life.  It is a bit scary at first but you can do it.  Write to me and I will help you through it!