How would you feel about someone if he saved your life? What if you didn’t even know him? He is completely anonymous. The only things you know about him are his age, gender, and blood type. Even more so, how would you feel knowing that he had no incentive whatsoever to save your life other than simply a desire to help someone?
To say I’m thankful for my stem cell donor is a start, but that’s an insufficient summary of my emotions. All I know about him is that he’s a 31-year old male with O+ blood type. I think he lives in the United States, but I’m not certain about that. He is otherwise anonymous to me, as I am to him, although after the requisite two year waiting period has passed I hope to contact him. I can guess some other things about him. For instance, he probably knows someone who had a form of blood cancer, which prompted him to register to be a bone marrow donor at Be the Match.org (click the link to sign up). If he’s like my family and me, he had never heard much about it until someone he knows was stricken.
The other thing I know about him is that he selflessly agreed to endure physical pain to help a stranger. Stem cells can be collected either by extracting them directly from the bone marrow or from the peripheral blood after taking injections of neupogen. The donor doesn’t know which procedure will be used at the time he signs up as it depends on the doctor’s orders. Neither procedure is pleasant and requires a resolute commitment from the donor. Backing out can mean the death of the patient.
So far, his decision to donate has been a very good one for me. My body has responded very well. My white blood cells and platelets are up, which signifies that the stem cells have engrafted in my marrow and are beginning to make cells of their own. Overall, I’m doing remarkably well this close to the transplant, so much so that I am being discharged from the hospital tomorrow, provided I have no unexpected complications overnight. I will have spent a week less in the hospital than initially expected. Praise God!
I know one other thing about my donor. Whether he is a believer or not, I have no idea, but nonetheless his actions are an example of Jesus. My donor’s decison was very selfless, the choice of a servant. With nothing to gain, he put himself at risk to save a complete stranger.
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:28 NLT)
I did nothing to deserve his stem cells, just like I did nothing to deserve the Cross. Yet, a ransom has been paid for my life twice…once for the eternal and once again for the physical. Why does someone do this? In a word, love:
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:13 NLT)
This is godly giving, an example of real compassion. I have been given a precious gift when I can do absolutely nothing for my benefactor. I pray that I can be that kind of giver, with the heart of a servant, blessing those who can do nothing for me in return. That’s real love. That’s the character of Jesus.
This is a beautiful post. Thank you for sharing your experiences. I read about Be the Match last year and signed up as a donor and you are correct, there are many risks and everyday “inconveniences” that go with being a donor but these can save lives!! I even follow a Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplant Survivors Club page on facebook and you might follow that also. Perhaps one day you will feel well enough to hold a Be the Match recruiting event!! Best of luck and I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
Thanks, Terri, for the encouraging note and for being a donor. I definitely intend to do some fundraising for Team in Training and run a race. Maybe I’ll get involved with Be the Match, too. Thanks for your support and prayers!