An amazing gift

CATHYW · Jun 13, 2002

No, Tookie, I haven't, and I haven't met or taken care of anyone who has. I am a blood and phoresis donor, and am on the national bone marrow registry. I also am an organ donor. If the opportunity came up while I was alive, I would seriously consider donation. If it was for a friend or family member, I'd do it in an instant.

nightingale, RN · Jun 13, 2002

Ditto to that sentiment Cathy. I have been a documented organ donor for many years. How does one "reguster" to become a bone marrow donor? I have not done the blood donor and phoresis donor registry but will look into it.

This is a great awareness thread Sandra, thank you.

B.

fedupnurse · Jun 13, 2002

A firend of mine who is a nurse donated a kidney to another firend who is a nurse. Both are doing well. The surgery for the donor is a huge deal. Big recovery issues as far as pain. I am also an organ donor. Can't donate blood due to medication (thyroid). Have cared for many potential donors and those that were unfortunate enough to become donors. It does help the families to know that these sudden deaths (usually from head bleeds, accidents or suicide attempts) can save other people lives. I always love to read the letters we get from the Sharing Network about where the organs went. They describe each recipient. It is the greatest gift!

CATHYW · Jun 13, 2002

Nightingale, try your local blood bank for all of the things I mentioned. To become a member of the National Marrow Donor Registry, it requires a simple questionnaire and one red-topped tube of blood. Your markers have to match just as perfectly as they do for any organ donation. I have been on the registry for 11 or 12 years, and haven't been called yet.

Good luck to you!

Jenny P · Jun 13, 2002

I'm listed as an organ donorand have been for many years. My whole family knows and respects my wishes on this; and my kids are both listed as donors also. I've been on the bone marrow registry for several years; but last year I received a letter asking me for a $50.00 "donation" to improve my odds of being a donor (or something like that). I thought it was really odd. Has anyone else received such a letter, or does anyone know about this "donation"?

sunnygirl272 · Jun 13, 2002

hmmm... i am no longer able to donate blood..was diagnosed with UC about 2 1/2 yrs ago...does anyone know if this diagnosis affects my status as an organ donor???

LaurieCRNP2002, MSN, RN, APRN · Jun 14, 2002

Sunnygirl 272 (and others)

I am currently doing my NP clinical with a heart failure/transplant team and am working with patients who are waiting for hearts. It is very exciting when one of our patients gets a heart--in fact, my second week of clinical I came in and found out one of our patients had been transplanted the previous Friday. I certainly empathize with those who work with the donor and their families--you have the hard job, I think.

Anyway, the five major categories of exclusion for donors are 1) Hematologic/metastatic malignancy; 2) Systemic sepsis, endocarditis or high risk transmission; 3) Significant coronary disease or cardiac injury; 4) Structural cardiac abnormalities/poor LV or RV function and 5) Ischemic time/donor-recipient matching.

So Sunnnygirl, you may still be able to be an organ donor. I hope this info was helpful

Fedupnurse--I find it curious that they won't take your blood b/c of your thyroid disease. I also am on thyroid medicine but haven't been refused for that reason.

Laurie

ChemoRN · Jun 14, 2002

1-800-4marrow or www.marrow.org

these are your contacts to get on the bone marrow transplant donor list. it's a very expensive test and you may be told that their is a charge to be put on the list. once you are on the list, there is no charge and whoever sent out that letter was misrepresenting themseles.

if you contact nmdp, they can usually lead you to a "sponsored" collection. that's when someone (usually a patient) has sponsored a collection in hopes of finding themselves a donor. these are usually free because someone funds them.

it is pretty cool when a brother or sister donates marrow to save their sibling. the donor/recipient are bonded in unbelievable ways :kiss

when a perfect stranger donates a part of themselves, without hesitation to save the life of someone they know very little about... (sigh) you just can't know how amazing it is. finding out their donor is there and ready brings so much hope to these patients who are desperate for hope.

i encourage everyone to be donors and if you are ever called to go in for the physicals asap. i have seen people die waiting for their potential donors to get physicals

donating is simple, and it's miraculous. transplant patients go through sheer he!! and they are totally amazing. it's an incredible gift!

live4today, RN · Jun 14, 2002

I'm a donor. Whatever can be donated from this body of mine is up for grabs when I'm gone from this earth because when I get to Heaven, I'm promised a new body that will never fail! :)

********************************************

"To the world I may be just one person, but to one person I may be their world." -- :)

joannep · Jun 14, 2002

As a renal nurse I have seen quite a few altruistic kidney transplants. One that springs to mind is the chap who donated his kidney to his golfing mate. His golfing mate was one of my dialysis patients, and one of the nicest guys around. The kidney worked well, and they are still hitting the little balls around the golf course together.

Joanne