Did you know that there are thousands of people who are in desperate need of bone marrow donations? It is literally a matter of life and death for so many.
One of them is Judy, the sister of Barbara who is a very close friend of PCS congregant, Susan Friedman. Right now, Judy is in the hospital with AML (acute myeloid leukemia) fighting for her survival.
Ideal bone marrow donors are 35 or younger, but anyone up to age 60 can participate. Testing is easy, with just a cheek swab. Ashkenazi Jews have been underrepresented in the donor pool, and, as such, hope for a match could be improved by increasing testing among Jews. If you are identified as a viable donor, the procedure takes one or two hours, and literally saves a life, with no need for surgery or an overnight stay in the hospital.
Gift of Life is an exceptional organization committed to identifying potential bone marrow donors and matching them with recipients. They will send test kits to anyone up to age 60 who is interested in being swabbed, and will cover the costs of the test for adults ages 18 – 35. For people ages 36 – 60, they request a $60 donation. You can learn more about the entire process by visiting the Gift of Life web site at giftoflife.org. Test kits can be requested directly from them at www.giftoflife.org/register.
Please share this message as widely as you can and particularly send it to friends and relatives ages 18 – 35. Encourage them to take a few minutes to give, potentially, the Gift of Life.
