| Sajha.com Archives | |
| Username | Post |
| sally | Posted
on 24-Mar-03 06:45 AM
Here's a scary statistic. If you're South Asian with leukemia and you need a bone marrow transplant, your odds of finding a match are ONLY AROUND ONE PERCENT. If you're white, it's over 60 percent. That's because so few South Asians are represented in the national bone marrow registry. So ... what can YOU do about this? If you're a Nepali student at George Mason University, you can register to save a life TODAY. It doesn't cost anything, it only takes a minute, and it does NOT obligate you to donate bone marrow if someone in need ever needs a match ... you can make the decision at the time. All they do is take a little blood sample. No cost. The blood will be typed (apparently marrow cells are released into the blood) and, if someone is ever in need and matches your type, you'd be contacted then. At GMU, there will be tabling today, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or go to Johnson Center Room H. At GW, there will be a drive from noon to 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 27, at Ross Hall. I know there are Nepali students at those universities ... so LET'S GET A GREAT TURNOUT, AND SHOW THAT NEPALIS CARE!!! The life you save might be your cousin's, or your friend's nephew, or a S Asian student just like yourself. Think about it ... There's more info at the South Asian Marrow Association of Recruiters (SAMAR) at www.samarinfo.org |
| isolated freak | Posted
on 24-Mar-03 09:28 AM
i am already registered.. i registered in 1999 March.. |
| sally | Posted
on 24-Mar-03 09:56 AM
Good for you, IF! You never know when it might make a difference. Ironic story: I saw these guys tabling at another location, and there had been an anti-war protest there only a half hour or so before ... but in spite of the people protesting against war with a "die-in," they'd only gotten 5 people to register and possibly save a life. Then along came another Sajhabasi, and registered. Hats off to him! |
| isolated freak | Posted
on 24-Mar-03 10:03 AM
hmm, whoever that sajhabasi is, my hats off to him.. well sally, i registered in 1999 with a hope that i would be able to save a very close friend's relative, it didn't hapopen because of the differene in race.. however, they told me that they put my smaple or whatever it is on their database and that they would contact me if I match somebody's "marrow-type". so, guys and girls, i strongly encourage you to get yourself registered.. its also a question of life and death and survival and happiness.. |
| Poonte | Posted
on 24-Mar-03 10:05 AM
Yeah...they had to "pinch" me twice...ouch! |
| SITARA | Posted
on 24-Mar-03 10:47 AM
Sally, a question: Some time ago, I went to the Red cross to donate blood but was not allowed because I had contracted Jaundice in high school; are there any such restrictions to bone-marrow donation? ....Interested. |
| sally | Posted
on 24-Mar-03 11:09 AM
Sitara, I don't think so. I know of people who couldn't give blood because of spending time in Germany (the Mad Cow disease concerns, I guess) but was told there are no restrictions like that on the blood marrow samples. I gather the reason the blood is taken is because some marrow cells sluff off into the blood, so they can be isolated from the blood sample later and analyzed. So it's not really the blood that's being looked at, but the marrow. Any public health/med school type could probably give a better description of that, though! Poonte, glad you survived! Now you can save the life of any fellow extraterrestrials. Hope you weren't too faint to drive :-) |
| bhedo | Posted
on 24-Mar-03 02:53 PM
Sitara, jaundice as in hepatitis? I don't know if they'll accept your blood or not, because some forms of hepatitis are sexually transmitted, and the virus will be stuck with you forever, no matter what you do. If I remember my biology, they reside deep inside your spinal chord, where your immune system can't reach them. In other words, you will have side effects later on in your life. An uncle of mine is having side effect now. He contracted hepatitis when he was a teenager. Not trying to scare you or anything. Now if you're talking about jaundice when you're born, that's totally different. It's due to Rh differences between mother and child, I think. |
| SITARA | Posted
on 24-Mar-03 03:25 PM
Sally, thank you will check! Bhedo ji thank you for your concern: I had jaundice. And here is something on blood donor non-eligibility. ..................................................................................... Donating Whole Blood | Next > | Click photo to view how easy it is to become a blood donor. Who Can Donate? Anyone who is in good health, is at least 18 years old (persons 16 or 17 years old may donate with a Blood Program consent form signed by a legal guardian), and weighs at least 110 pounds may donate blood every 56 days. Questions About Eligibility Some health conditions or medications may temporarily or permanently prevent persons from donating blood. If you have a question regarding your eligibility to donate blood and would like to discuss it with a Blood Center nurse email your question to clinicalprogram@psbc.org or call 800-366-2831, x 2301. Medical Conditions AIDS-individuals at high risk and their partners cannot donate Colds and flu cannot donate Diabetes, on medication (controlled) can donate Hepatitis and jaundice after age 11 cannot donate Malaria, in malaria area one-year wait Malaria, with or without medications cannot donate Pregnancy, after delivery, miscarriage, abortion six-week wait Menstruation can donate © 2003 Puget Sound Blood Center |
| SITARA | Posted
on 24-Mar-03 03:26 PM
PS. Bhedo ji...I hope your uncle gets better. |
| najar | Posted
on 24-Mar-03 04:33 PM
Having jaundice or any other diseases in the past should not refrain from registering from what i understand. Leukemia is a deadly disease--- a disorder of the blood and blood forming organ causing a loss of cell division regulation and accumulation of dysfunctional cells.Over the years chemotherapy and bone transplant have significantly increased the survival time for individuals with leukemia. Bone marrow is where the blood cell production occurs after birth. Before bith (among fetus) blood cell production takes place in liver and spleen. Bone marrow consists of blood vessels, nerves, stem cells, fatty cells and blood cells (erythrocytes, leucocytes, platelets, lymphocytes) at various stages of growth. Bone marrow is confined to the cavities of the bone but not all bones contain active marrow. In adults they are found in pelvic bones, vertebrae bones, cranium amd mandible, sternum, ribs, extrema portion of humerus and femur. The purpose of taking a small sample of blood is to identify your tissue type, which will then be matched to the tissue of individuals with leukemia--and if matched you will be contacted again for further matching process. Okay, enough of my rambling--hope made some sense. |
| bhedo | Posted
on 24-Mar-03 04:48 PM
What's the point of registering if they're not gonna let you donate marrow(if you have Aids/hepatitis) in the end, anyway? According to: http://www.typeforlife.org/website/index.cfm?fuseaction=genDisplay&whichPage=23#RISKS%20AND%20COMPLICATIONS%20OF%20DONATION Under the title, "CONDITIONS THAT PREVENT SOMEONE BEING TYPED/DONATING", it says, Hepatitis: Hepatitis B surface antigen is not acceptable. Hepatitis C antibody is not acceptable. Any other hepatitis history must be evaluated early in the actual search process. Hepatitis vaccine is acceptable I am assuming that this applies to any type of donation. |