Bone Marrow Donor Program

I learnt about the Bone Marrow Donor Program (BMDP) towards the end of 2015. It is strange how my mother's Oncologist did not suggest to family members to donate our bone marrow when she couldn't find a match to it. It is also very disgraceful behaviour on our part that we did not even think about this option at all. She was, however, given the choice of harvesting her own bone marrow. That was an experience I will never forget.

Photo by Khoo Hanzhi

I was her main caregiver when she had her third relapse in seven years. We were in and out of hospital every other day. Doctors, tests, nurses, blood transfusions, platelet transfusions, chemotherapy, radiology, needles and more needles. When it was time for her to retrieve her bone marrow, which at that time I had no idea what it meant (young and ignorant), I was shocked to see her walk into a make-shift bed in the middle of an observation room separated only by curtains. Weren't they planning to administer General Anaesthesia (GA) on her? To retrieve bone marrow from the back of of the pelvic bone, you can only imagine how strong that needle would have to be. This needle will be pierced into her bone by hand. Not only does the doctor need to be skilled and fit, my mother must be extremely brave to tahan that pain. She was the only woman at that time of retrieval with two men on the beds next to her (separated only by curtains). I was certain she was scared as a turkey in October but her usual positive self took charge of the situation. She joked with the practitioners and told them to get it through at one go. She questioned the petite female doctor, "Huh? You? So young? Sure or not? Do you have the strength? The needle has to go into my bone you know?" As soon as the needle went in, I heard her yelp in pain. Who wouldn't? But she grit her teeth and clenched her fist as I imagined her to. I couldn't witness the process but I was right there, separated by that old trusty curtain. The two men undergoing the same process were screaming and crying, 

"Tolong Tolong ah! Help me! Help me please!"

I do not know where my mother garnered her strength from. There were no uncontrollable wails from her. I felt her pain even more. It was very frightening an experience even for a by-stander like me. A mother's threshold for pain must have been trained from childbirth to handling all the heartaches and frights from her child's growing up years. I think my mom had it worst when I was a rebel in my teens. Note to self: Do not clip their wings. Let them discover life on their own but be there to catch them when they fall. Only when I gain their trust, will I have a good relationship with my teen. 

When I found out about BMDP, I was eager to share it with my friends on my Facebook. However, I didn't want to be an empty preacher and got BMDP to send me a DIY donor kit. I want to Be A Donor. I was a caregiver to a Lymphoma patient, my mom. I was a volunteer with the Cancer Children Foundation while taking care of mommy. I shaved my head in support of Hair For Hope 2010. Now, I hope to do more and really save a life with what my stem cells can offer. 

With all that pain my mom had went through, where did I find my courage? Here, the story of Father Luke and Farhan made me take this big bold step:

From the donor's point of view, Farhan said, "Think about the chance you are giving someone else who may live longer because of what you've done." Those words moved me and should I be able to save a life, it would mean more than just winning a lottery.

I read extensively on the donor's program and found out the following facts:

(1) The odds of finding a match is 1 in 20,000. My heart dropped when I read this. I am crossing my fingers really hard that I can save someone somewhere on this continent or the next.

(2) The odds of finding a match for Malay and Indian patients are even lower because there is a shortage for Malay and India donors. Calling friends from the minority ethnic background, please come forward if you are comfortable.

(3) More children die from leukaemia every year than any other illness. This is the reason why we had no reservations whatsoever to put our children's cord blood in the bank if there's *choy choy* a need for it. I've seen first-hand how difficult this process is to find a match.

(4) SIX Singaporeans are diagnosed every day with a blood disease and many of them will die without a transplant. My mother and grandmother passed on with cancer. My chance of being a cancer patient is not low. I want to pay it forward!

The difference between THEN and NOW is (well, I really don't know what happened THEN during my mother's time), we will undergo GA for the extraction. The entire process takes 45 to 60 minutes. Although there is no surgery involved, it is recommended that the donor stays overnight to rest in the hospital and goes home the following morning. The amount of bone marrow harvested is less than 5% of the body’s marrow and this is naturally regenerated within 4-6 weeks. I truly believe the after-effect is a lot less painful than a C-section or following through a dental appointment! Donors have shared that it aches only a little after the GA anaesthesia wears off and they could spring back to work as good as new. For sure, I couldn't "Spring Back To Work" after giving birth to Ewan.

There is a second method to harvest the bone marrow and that is the Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Harvest (PBSC). The donor will be given 4 daily injections of a hormone called G-CSF (Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor) to stimulate the growth of their stem cells and to mobilise them into the blood stream. This is usually done in the morning and the donor can continue their normal daily activities. On the fourth day, the stem cells will be collected in an outpatient procedure that is very similar to blood donation except that it will take between 5-7 hours. Once complete, the donor is usually free to go home.

"NOT GUTS! NOT GLORY!

JUST THE RIGHT ATTITUDE!"

The First Step to Be A Donor is to do a cheek swap and your DNA will be kept in the database until you are 60 years of age. Only when you are a match, will you be called in for bone marrow harvesting. It can be weeks, months or even more than a decade later. How lucky will that be if you are found a match within months of mailing in your cheek swap sample!

I've completed and sent out my cheek swap samples today [simply rub the insides of your cheek with the cotton tips provided]. Crossing my fingers that I'll qualify to be a bone marrow donor despite having treated for postpartum haemorrhaging in 2012.

BMDP is a non-profit organisation and they manages Singapore's only register of volunteer bone marrow donors. For the past 20 years, they have been providing that one chance of survival to hundred of patients suffering from terminal blood-related diseases. Their lab processes, which cost S$150 each time, are all funded by the public. You can choose to be a fund their work by pledging any amount you are comfortable with.

Will you consider to be a Bone Marrow Donor in this lifetime of yours? I urge you to make a difference.

BMDP Links: Website | FAQS | Facebook | Instagram [@bmdpsg] | Be A Donor | Be a Volunteer | Fund BMDP

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A stay at home mum, blogging to widen her social life. 
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