I’ve joined the registry – will you? Two minutes to sign = Lives Saved. Nuff’ Said.

Hi everyone, 

9 more sleeps my friends, 9 more sleeps!  But if I may, I’d like to be serious for a few moments and have a chat with you all about a very important topic.  

Over the past few months, many fans of Beyond Grace’s Rainbow have reached out to me and sent me the most beautiful emails and pm’s telling me how Grace’s story connected with them personally.  Many of you have experienced firsthand some of the themes that the novel addresses.  I’ve treasured every single one of them and please do continue to get in touch with me.  I love to hear from you, I honestly do.

But for now I’d like to tell you about some special messages I’ve received over the past few months regarding bone marrow transplants. A few months back I received a wonderful email from someone in Ireland who told me that following on from reading Grace’s story, she was so moved that she registered online to become a bone marrow donor.  Shortly afterwards a lady in the UK said that she had registered also to do the same thing.  Then just last week another fan emailed me to say that she too had joined the panel.

I have to admit that I was and still am incredibly moved by these accounts.  I am quite honestly blown away that a fictional character I created could invoke such a strong response in others.  I’ve pondered this a lot and feel that the real reason people are doing this is is that cancer has in some shape or form touched us or our families.  I know that in my own family, we have all had far too much personal experience with it and have all been left changed by its ghastly vice like grip.

So when I think about that, am I really surprised that people have stepped forward in this tangible and real way to help others?  No I’m not.  Because people in my experience want to help and pay it forward in some way.  

It’s been playing on my own mind for a while now, I felt that I too must try to do something to help raise awareness.  Maybe Grace’s story is bigger than I ever realised it could be and maybe Grace’s story can be the catalyst to help encourage others to also step forward and register.   

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For those that may not know the story behind my novel, Beyond Grace’s Rainbow is about a young mother who finds out that she has leukaemia and that her best chance of beating it is to receive a bone marrow transplant.  A successful match is usually found within the family unit, but if that doesn’t work out then the patient must rely on the goodwill of others who have joined the panel on the Bone Marrow Registry and pray that a match is found for them there. 

For my fictional character Grace, I gave her a rare blood type and to further complicate matters she is adopted and doesn’t know who her biological family are.  So her chances of finding a match on the registry are quite slim and despite all of her amazing friends getting tested to become donors, none of them are a suitable match.  So she must make the brave decision to search for her biological mother who has already painfully rejected her attempts at connecting a few years previously.

I think the reason Grace’s story connected with so many is that it highlighted the need for us ALL to register our details, because maybe, just maybe, we might have the right genetic makeup to help save someones life.  The more of us that register, the greater the chance of a match being made, end of.  

I contacted The Irish Blood Transfusion Service last week and asked them what could I do to help the cause and quite simply they said they need more donors and if I could spread that word, it would be of huge help.

So here I am my dear friends, asking you respectfully to read the eligibility criteria below and if you feel that it is something you could also do, the online application form is here.  Every person who has signed up to be a donor is a hero in my eyes.  Maybe one day they will save a life of one of my loved ones.  Maybe you.  

If you do sign up to join the panel, please leave a comment and let me know.  And if you could share this post with your friends, you never know, you might just help save a life by reaching the right person at the right time.

I’ve joined the registry – Will you?  Together, let’s make a difference.  Two minutes to sign = Lives Saved.  Nuff’ Said. 

 

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Eligibility Criteria

Donors must:

  • be aged between 18 and 45 years
  • be willing to remain on the panel until they are 55 years of age
  • be in good general health
  • meet certain eligibility criteria which are assessed prior to placing donors on the panel

How do I join the panel?

Donors are recruited to the Unrelated Bone Marrow panel through the whole blood and platelet donation clinics. We require their computer systems to register our donors and we follow their medical guidelines for donor suitability. 

If you wish to join the Irish Unrelated Bone Marrow Registry please complete the online application form and our recruitment staff will contact you when they are next recruiting at a donation clinic in your area.

To join the panel you will have a blood test to establish your HLA type and you will be asked to complete a consent form.

 

 

Thanks everyone as always for reading, with an extra special thanks from me today, 

Carmel xxxx

 

 

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