Here’s How to Join the Bone Marrow Donation Registry for Free

Be The Match makes it easy to join the bone marrow registry. I joined, I'll show you how! 

Bone marrow donation is one way you can literally save a life. Did you know that every 4 minutes, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with blood cancer?  And each hour more than 6 people die from blood cancer.  Some are waiting for a bone marrow transplant and trying to find a match. BeTheMatch.org is committed to making a large bone marrow registry in hopes of allowing those in need of a transplant find a compatible donor.

I decided to join the registry, because it's free, it's easy and it's one small thing I can do to potentially help someone in need. My Dad is a Leukemia survivor. While he didn't end up needing a bone marrow transplant, I always have wondered, what if?  Would he have found a donor? So I decided instead of wondering, I'd help become a part of the solution myself and join the registry.

It's super easy to join the registry!  Go to BeTheMatch.org, fill out the questions and info about yourself. Then wait Be The Match will send you this fancy little kit in the mail.

You swab your cheeks with the swabs provided, put them into the pre-addressed pre-stamped envelope and send them back. That's it!  Then you wait. Be The Match will notify you once you're on the registry.

And if you are a match, it doesn't cost anything for the donation. They take care of every expense for you. Once you're on the registry there's about a 1 in 430 chance one being a match for someone. While it doesn't seem like great odds, imagine the odds for the person needing a transplant. You may be the one they need.