Anne Hathaway Foundation: Bone Marrow Donation Drive

Come on, let’s be realistic here—you can actually save someone's life with very little impact on the donor.

stormycanyon56 said:They pull the bone marrow from your pelvic bones—basically just above your butt🙂
and you end up with a tiny little puncture scar on each side. Honestly, mine are barely even visible now. It’s really not that big of a deal. I actually think every healthy person should be a potential donor since it can literally save someone's life without any lasting impact on you.

Well, that’s exactly what I was thinking... pelvic bones... yeah, my anatomy skills are clearly non-existent 😬. You only had two needle marks? We had three... We did ours over at Mercury. It took a minute to heal, but it’s seriously not a huge thing. I was expecting way bigger scars, but now there's basically nothing left. So yeah... there you go. 👍

Not sure about the specifics for San Diego, but check out this page—might have what you need:

jadesailor14 said:Alexander Lewis, everyone on this forum is already aware of your anxieties, so please don't ruin the thread by projecting them onto someone else's noble efforts.
The fact that you can't show some grace is your own issue.
I just hope you remember this attitude when you're the one who eventually needs help.

Honestly, I don't know why you're getting so worked up over this...

The Anne Hathaway Foundation wants you to show up for World Lymphoma Day on September 15th. We’re teaming up with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society right in the middle of Times Square to make things happen. Here's the plan: - Info booths will be running from 12 PM to 6 PM - We're doing donor registration and blood typing from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM - There's a lecture on lymphomas over at the Cultural Information Center, located at 5th Avenue, starting at 6 PM. SHOW UP AND BE A DONOR.

If you have any questions about the foundation, just ask. I’m an activist for the organization, so I’ll give you the real scoop.

Okay, so I’ve got this one question that I just can't seem to find an answer to anywhere online, so I'm really hoping you might be able to help me out here 🙂

Basically, the news is constantly running these stories about how a huge chunk—honestly, most of them, if you ask me—of the collected samples haven't even been typed yet... apparently, because the foundation just doesn't have the budget to cover all of them, since typing every single one is insanely expensive. Personally, I would be more than happy to pay for my own typing 🙂—I mean, why isn't there an option to just foot the bill ourselves so my sample actually gets processed? You tell us it costs $1000, so I'll just send over $1000 for the service and then whoever handles the testing can just get on with it. Some people would genuinely love to chip in if they knew exactly where the money was going and when they'd finally see their own results.

Why isn't that an option? I mean, if that allowed for 100 more samples to be typed, wouldn't that be a massive win for everyone?

Rachel Brooks63 said:Look, I’ve got this one question that I can’t seem to find an answer to anywhere, so I’m hoping you might be able to shed some light on it. 🙂

The media is constantly harping on the fact that a huge chunk—most of them, if you ask me—of the collected samples haven't been typed because the foundation just doesn't have the budget to handle them all, given how insanely expensive the process is. Honestly, I would gladly pay for my own typing 🙂 Why on earth isn't there an option to cover our own costs? You tell us it costs $1000, so let me just send over $1000 for my specific testing and then whoever is responsible can just get it done. People would actually be willing to open their wallets (certain people, anyway) if they knew exactly where the money was going and if they were actually going to see their results at the end of the day.

Why isn't this an option? If typing even 100 samples like that makes a tangible difference, isn't that a win for everyone?

Well, why don't you just ask them directly and submit the proposal?👍

Yeah, I am... they never actually got back to me about my question/suggestion 😉

Rachel Brooks63 said:Yeah, they never actually got back to me about my question or suggestion 😉

Mary is incredibly friendly whenever you talk to her on the phone. I'm honestly surprised you haven't heard anything back yet.😕

electricharbor16 said:Is there anywhere in Providence where I can donate blood and get signed up as a stem cell donor? I asked at the transfusion center a couple of months ago, but they looked at me like I had just dropped in from Mars.

You can join the National Bone Donor Registry at the Mayo Clinic, located at 12 Main Street—they're open weekdays from 9 AM to 2 PM. You can also find them at events hosted by the Ana Rukavina Foundation. We post all our upcoming drives on the Foundation's website www.zaklada-ana-rukavina.hr.

Angela Wright said:Look, just ask them directly and make a suggestion.👍

If you showed up early to one of the Foundation's blood drives hoping to get typed, good luck. It’s an organizational nightmare trying to dig through 20,000 untyped samples just to find yours. All those tubes are sitting in medical freezers, and the Foundation processes them chronologically as they raise enough funds to cover the testing.

If you aren't in the registry yet but want to be, head over to the Mayo Clinic at 12 Main Street. You can provide a sample there and pay the Mayo Clinic directly for the FDA typing. For more details, give the National Bone Donor Registry a call at 23 88 746.

jadesailor14 said:the fact that you can't be noble is your own problem

Look, I think it’s perfectly reasonable to point out that, as is often the case, the discomfort and consequences of medical procedures tend to be downplayed. When you're donating bone marrow, they have to extract it from the pelvic bones using a needle that looks more like a heavy-duty drill—and it has to be thick enough to actually penetrate bone. The whole reason for general anesthesia is that driving a massive needle through cellular structures into the bone is a brutal procedure that certainly isn't doing any favors for the surrounding tissue or bone health. Sometimes they use local anesthesia combined with sedation, but still.

If you sit down with any anesthesiologist, I’m certain they’ll tell you that general anesthesia isn't some trivial matter; it carries specific risks and physiological tolls. A lot of people deal with intense nausea or just feel generally terrible afterward. Then there are the "minor" complications, like throat or lip injuries during intubation—thankfully rare, but they happen. Beyond that, there is always the possibility of death during anesthesia; while the odds are slim, general anesthesia is not inherently "healthy" or beneficial for the body.

On top of that, harvesting bone marrow, like any surgery, carries an infection risk that can range from a minor nuisance to fatal. It makes me wonder if anyone has ever conducted a truly honest, unbiased study on the negative impacts of bone marrow donation on the donor, or if people are just too eager to complete a transplant to bother looking past a superficial "everything is fine" assessment.

As we can see, even small scars remain. For some, that doesn't matter; for others, it does. It’s entirely subjective.

jadesailor14 said:I just hope you stick to that principle when it's your turn to need help

Don't worry, I know that IF I ever need help, I won't be looking to Medicare for it, since I don't live in that system nor am I covered by it. Honestly, I’m glad; I live in a country where I can get what I need promptly and efficiently (within the limits of modern medical technology, which, unfortunately, isn't all that advanced these days) without having to beg or grease any palms. Once, when I actually needed assistance here, I received within two days what would take months to get elsewhere, though I’m not entirely convinced how much it actually helped me. The situation here is straightforward: you pay a certain amount monthly for insurance, and you have coverage—essentially everything available, wherever you want, either immediately or within a few days.

If I lived in a place where connections mattered more than competence, I doubt I'd receive prompt or quality care. In those systems, there's always someone more "important" than me—someone who tells sob stories, someone who's owed a favor, someone who paid off the right person, or someone who's just well-connected. So, please, go ahead and call me to donate my bone marrow just so some guy in a corner can take a bribe to hand my marrow over to a third party, allowing him to spend his shift grabbing coffee in the breakroom instead of doing the job he’s actually paid for.👎👎

Alexander Lewis said:Look, I think it’s worth pointing out that, just like it usually goes... They're just trying to downplay the pain and the fallout from medical procedures. Why even bother being honest?When you donate bone marrow, they have to pull it right out of your pelvic bones. They use this massive, thick needle that looks more like a drill than medical equipment just to get through. Why do you think they use total anesthesia? Because driving a cell extractor into your bone is brutal, and there’s no way that much trauma is actually helping your tissue or bone health on the way in. Some places try to get by with local anesthesia and sedation, but honestly, who wants that?

Ask any anesthesiologist and they’ll tell you the same thing: general anesthesia is no joke. It comes with real risks and consequences. A lot of people wake up feeling absolutely trashed, and you even get those "minor" issues like throat or lip injuries from the intubation. It doesn't happen constantly, but it happens. And yeah, there's always the chance someone just doesn't wake up. Sure, the odds are slim, but let's be real—general anesthesia isn't exactly "healthy" for the body, is it?

Plus, pulling bone marrow is still surgery. There’s always that risk of infection—anything from a minor setback to life-threatening. It makes me wonder: has anyone actually conducted an honest, unbiased study on the long-term fallout for donors? Or is everyone just too eager to check a box and claim everything is fine once the transplant is over?

Look, some scars stick around. Some people don't care, others can't stand it. It’s all relative, isn't it?

Don't worry, I know if I ever actually need help, I won't be getting it from Medicare—not that I live there or pay into their system anyway. Honestly? It’s a relief. I live in a country where I can get what I need quickly and efficiently (well, as efficient as modern medicine allows these days, which isn't exactly winning any awards). No begging, no bribing, no nothing. Once, when I actually needed medical attention here, I got treated in two days for something that would take months back home. Did it even help much? Who knows. But the deal here is simple: you pay your monthly premium, and you're covered. You want care? You get it. Period.

If I lived in America, I highly doubt I’d ever get decent or timely medical care. How does it even work over there? It’s always the same story—some well-connected jerk gets pushed to the front of the line, someone's cousin gets special treatment, or some rich guy just buys his way to the top of the list. Why bother being honest when you can just pay your way through?👎 So you're gonna call me up and ask me to donate my heart just so some guy in a corner can swipe a blue envelope? As if he could swap my heart out for someone else's and still have enough time to lounge around the breakroom sipping coffee instead of actually doing the job he’s being paid for? Seriously?👎

Must be nice living in America where you get instant help from VANI without any hassle. I’m dying to know how they actually manage to source that bone marrow or those stem cells... what, do they just milk it out of some goats or cows?🙂 The whole point of having the Registry—and the American one too—is to sync up with that global BMW database. It gives you a 1 in 100,000 shot at finding a matching donor somewhere in the world. Isn't that just great?
Look, if someone is actually that terrified—needles, anesthesia, all that stuff you mentioned—then they should just donate stem cells. There’s no anesthesia involved, and the needle used for the vein is about as tiny as it gets. What else are you going to do?
God forbid you ever actually need help like that to save your life. You’d be talking a lot differently then, wouldn't you? Besides, you can't just go out and BUY bone marrow or stem cells—that kind of money doesn't exist. People have to donate them; you can't just shop for them like they're at a grocery store!!!!

Drew Harris42, those of us who've been around this forum for a while already know Succoross and all his various issues way too well—which is exactly why none of us bothered responding to the nonsense he’s been dumping on the board through several different accounts over the last few years 😉

don't fall for his crap either, just taking it as the most sincere and well-meaning advice I can give you 🙂

Drew Harris42 said:It’s all fun and games until you realize you don't live in America where the system actually works to get you help fast. How exactly does the VA supposedly find bone marrow or stem cells? Maybe they just grab some from a cow out in the pasture? 🙂 The whole point of these registries—including the ones here in the States—is to link up with the global Department of Defense database. The odds of finding a match anywhere in the world are 1 in 100,000.
Also, if someone is genuinely terrified of needles or anesthesia, they can always just donate stem cells instead. No anesthesia required, and the needle used for a vein is tiny.
And heaven forbid you actually need this kind of life-saving help one day; I bet you'd change your tune real quick. You can't just go out and buy bone marrow or stem cells like they're groceries—people have to donate them!

Oh, I forgot to mention: Americans have already saved three lives by donating bone marrow to people overseas in England, Austria, and Germany! 👍

If I sign up to be a donor and give blood, then later get diagnosed with something serious like cancer—I’m talking major stuff—does that mean I’d be disqualified from donating bone marrow if they ever needed me?

restlesspanther42 said:If I sign up for the registry and donate blood, but then end up getting sick—say, with something serious like cancer—does that mean I'd be disqualified from donating bone marrow if they ever needed me?

Yeah, it does.

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