Tessa normally doesn't bark outright, but she peeks out the window and she gives kind of a half-growl/half-bark.....a grawrk? It sounds more like an intentional barking burp.
This morning she perked up from her bed and let out a grawrk. A truck had pulled up to the house...not worthy of barking. I'm about to correct her and the door knocks. I didn't hear the FedEx guy walk up the sidewalk (he probably cut across the grass...a rant for another time). Carolyn didn't tell me she ordered anything, and I don't have anything coming, so it was a surprise for me.
I open the package to find a letter and an informational letter regarding Bone Marrow donation from an organization called Be The Match.
I signed up on a donor registry sometime back in 1992. I've been contacted three times now as a match for people needing bone marrow. The first time was back in 1998 or so back when I was in the military. I remember it being urgent that I got in to take the blood tests once they overnighted some collection kit to a local hospital. Since I was TDY in Arizona, I had to borrow the rental truck and drive over to the nearest Air Force base to get my blood drawn. Evidently I was a match.
There are two ways of donating: peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) and marrow. The military only allows marrow donation and you have to have them do the collection. I was told I'd get a free trip to Walter Reed hospital and they'd fly anybody in to be with me for the procedure. Not a bad racket. free trip to DC with anyone I want and probably what amounts to a free week or two of leave. Sign me up!
Unfortunately the recipient really needed the PBSC donation, so that didn't go through. A couple of years after I separated I got the call again. The situation sounded similar to the one before, but I have no idea if it was the same guy or not. Everything seemed fine after my confirmatory blood work, but the word I got was that the recipient was too sick to have the procedure. My assumption is that he passed away....I'd rather just have been told I wasn't a match, but they were probably hoping he'd get well enough to proceed.
Today I'm just told that the recipient is a 30 year old woman. I call the number given and am given far more explanation that I need. To be honest, I really didn't listen much. There is enough written info in the packet and online. Even though they told me what the woman has...does it matter?
Someone needs a life-saving donation that I can give for, at worst, a little pain and inconvenience for a few weeks. More than likely it will be far easier than that. How could I say no, even if I wanted to?
Update: Evidently this is an "urgent" need case. I figured they were all urgent needs, but I guess this proword means that they need to move a little faster than normal. the next stage of blood tests are going to be Friday and more than likely the 90 day review window might be pushed up a bit. If I get selected and need to go the surgical route I'll have to go to Denver. The blood donation route takes me up to Spokane.
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