Lately, I’ve been sharing snippets of my Be the Match journey on our Instagram. I’ve saved what I’ve shared so far in our story highlights titled ‘be the match’ if you want to check that out! I’ve laughed, smiled, cried, worried + so much more throughout this process + decided the best way for me to truly document accurately is to start from the very beginning…why I registered in the first place.
MY MOTHER
Towards the end of middle school my Grandfather was taken to the emergency room for chest pains. During their examinations, he became one of that ‘this happens to less than 1% of the people we perform this on’ group and as a result suffered kidney failure. Quite literally, out of nowhere. Our family was scared but strong as we watched this man we love and adore battle for his life. After quite some time on dialysis it was very clear that if he didn’t receive a kidney transplant, he wouldn’t be with us much longer. My mother offered to be tested as a match without hesitation and ended up being a perfect fit. By this time, I was a freshman in high school and remember my parents sitting down both my sister and me to explain the possible outcomes of this operation. There was a lot at risk and a lot could go wrong. Not to mention, everything could go well in the operating room and my grandpa’s body could simply just reject the foreign kidney and we’d be right back to square one with his treatment.
Watching my mom’s courage throughout that process amazed me. Witnessing my dad’s unwavering support of this decision amazed me. Hearing and seeing my grandparent’s gratitude amazed me. Even at that age, when I wasn’t fully capable of comprehending the magnitude of these decisions, I felt the love driving them and that has stuck with me my entire life. The operation went well, my grandpa’s body accepted the kidney and we got 13 more incredible years of memories with him, thanks to my mom. Their bond, that was already so special, was further strengthened and as I sit here typing this through tears I just wish I could find the right words to honor the admiration and adoration I have for her and selfless character.
MY FRIEND
A friend of mine that I met in graduate school had registered herself after losing her father and after 6 years of being on the registry matched with someone! She started the next steps of evaluation and didn’t end up being the best match for the candidate BUT her selflessness to go through something incredibly invasive with such courage, inspired me to start looking into the registration process. She was so helpful and informative, and the comfort of having her support (not pressure) while I was looking into it meant, and still means, so much to me.
MY SISTER
Shortly after my friend told me she had matched, I got a call from my sister explaining that a college athlete at her alma mater, Western Kentucky, had been diagnosed with Leukemia and was desperately in need of a bone marrow donation. The University stepped up big and was encouraging anyone and everyone eligible to register in hopes that someone would match with her. As God would have it, her perfect match ended up being her father and she has now become a proud advocate of registering for the national bone marrow registry!
WHY I REGISTERED
This perfect storm of events that had been so carefully orchestrated in my life is exactly why I registered. I believe that these little nudges along the way were not ironic, they were intentional. God was setting me up for something bigger than myself and it was my job to trust the journey. I didn’t bite the bait He gave me the first time, so He made it a little more direct the second time, and I finally bit. I registered! Registering is simple, easy, and very convenient. And, after two short years on the registry, I got a call I was a potential match.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO REGISTER AND HOW TO REGISTER
There are multiple different platforms to register with, I used Be The Match, so that’s the platform I’ll be talking about. Ultimately, use whatever platform you are comfortable with, they all get you on the same national registry!
ELIGIBILITY:
Anyone between the ages of 18-60 that Lives in the United States + Meets the health guidelines
REGISTER:
Register online here, you’ll receive a swab kit in the mail, follow the directions + send it back…that’s it!
I hope that this post inspires you to at least visit the link, check out what registering and matching entails. I want to use this opportunity to say, if you do not believe in your mind you can follow through with a donation, please do not register. Imagine the heartbreak that comes with being a patient and being told you could potentially receive a life-saving procedure, to only have that taken away. There is excellent information on this website about the donation process (you have two donations options, the best option is determined by the patient’s team of doctors) and the risk and potential side effects that could take place with each donation. I will also be doing another post or two on my donation process and recovery, but in the meantime, drop any questions you have in the comments below or DM us on Instagram!
