Urgent call for bone marrow donors

Hi everyone,

Some of you may remember a former member from UK Yankee, expat_in_scotland (Leigh). Leigh's 8 year old daughter Ailidh has recently been diagnosed with leukemia and has been in hospital for several weeks now receiving chemotherapy. It was hoped that one of her siblings would be a bone marrow match for her but sadly this is not the case. The best long term chance for Ailidh is a bone marrow transplant so the search begins for a donor.

Ailidh is of mixed Latino/Hispanic and Scottish race, although anyone could be a potential match.

Please, please, consider joining the bone marrow registry if you haven't already done so, for Ailidh and other children like her, and please spread this message far and wide.

Thank you.

British bone marrow registry:http://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/bonemarrow/

US bone marrow registry: http://marrow.org/Home.aspx

Thanks for posting. Sending healing vibes to Expat and her family.

Yes, thanks for posting.  This sort of thing is really important, and reminded me to look into joining the registry (something I'd always put off).

Unfortunately, I'm not eligible.   But I really hope they can find a match.

Yes, thanks for posting.  This sort of thing is really important, and reminded me to look into joining the registry (something I'd always put off).

Unfortunately, I'm not eligible.   But I really hope they can find a match.

I'm not either, I've looked into this and giving blood before So sorry I can't be of more help and wish lots of good things for little Ailidh.

Please, if you're eligible to be a bone marrow donor, please get yourself on the list.  I'm not eligible and I'm gutted, I would love to help safe someone's life.   So if you can, please do it!

Ailidh is fighting hard, she's on her second round of chemo and in strict isolation at the moment.  But she nees a bone marrow transplant for her long term survival. She's only 8. 

There are so many people in need of a bone marrow transplant, please do consider it.   

Unfortunately, I can't register, either. I hope they have luck soon.

I am on the American bone marrow registry. My prayers are with Ailidh and her family.

I just wanted to bump this up again.

An anonymous bone marrow donor saved my life two years ago, and I was, without exaggeration, several weeks from death.

A lot of people heard stories that donating bone marrow is painful, but in 80% of cases these days, donation is done via an IV in each arm, and is NOT the painful procedure it used to be. Your own immune system is completely back to normal in 3 weeks.

You can get on the registry with a cheek swab via the post (so you don't even need to get blood drawn), and you could save a life. Note that it's NOT the same registry as being an organ donor - this is a separate step.

PLEASE PLEASE join the UK registry at Anthony Nolan if you're eligible. It's free, you can save a life by sharing your marrow, and continue on living yours without any harm to yourself.

I just looked through the website to see about donating.  I tried putting in my post code to check for nearest places to donate blood, but it came up with addresses in Wales!  I've made a note to myself to call tomorrow.  Please send on my best wishes to Expat and Aillidh.

I joined the American bone marrow registry last year and I just wanted to post to encourage others to do the same. Sending my best wishes to Expat and Ailidh.

I don't qualify, but send my prayers to Ailidh and her family.

Sadly, since I'm over 40 I do not qualify. 
I will keep Ailidh and her family in my prayers. 

I just looked through the website to see about donating.  I tried putting in my post code to check for nearest places to donate blood,

Donating blood and donating marrow are two different things?

Donating blood and donating marrow are two different things?

Indeed, although it appears that you can somehow initiate the process of registering for the British Bone Marrow Registry at your next blood donation.

I am going to inquire when I go for my next one.

Anthony Nolan programme's age cutoff is 40 years old, which rules me out.

However, the British Bone Marrow Registry appears to accept potential donors up to & including 49 years of age - if otherwise eligible, I might just squeak in on that one.

It seems that the story is making its way around Facebook, too.  My SIL just posted a link to the local news report.  I really hope that the raised profile can turn up a match for her.