Got bone marrow?

YES, you do. Would you like to share it? Wonderful. I've posted about Ethan Powell before, when he first came to St. Jude in February. He was diagnosed with leukemia at his 2-month check-up. He's now five months old and in need of a bone marrow transplant. Currently there is no match for Ethan in the national registry of bone marrow donors. So, bone marrow drives are being held in several states in an effort to find a match for him and many other people in need of transplants. I attended a drive in Searcy a couple weeks ago...over 500 potential donors were registered that day! Usually, to be tested, you have a pay a fee of about $50 for tissue-typing; however, right now the registration process is free until May 21. So find a drive near you and go get tested! It's fast, super-easy, and completely painless. No blood draw is required; you just fill out some paperwork, watch a 10-minute video, and have your cheek swabbed.

Many people are scared off because of the actual donation process, which of course involves getting bone marrow from your hip. If you ask me, that's a silly reason. The donor is under either general or regional anesthesia during the process to make it as painless as possible. He/she will have a sore hip for a few days. I admit that doesn't sound like fun, but I could have just as sore of a hip if I tripped and fell on the sidewalk. I might as well be sore for a good reason. If I have to limp for a couple of days so that Ethan or some other child can live to take his first steps, I'm okay with that.

We're having a drive in honor of Ethan at Sycamore View next Sunday, the 20th. If you're in Memphis and haven't already been to one of the other drives, COME! It'll be in the classrooms by the gym from 11am-4pm. Donors must be between the ages of 18 and 60, and many people are eligible to donate even if they can't donate blood. And if you'd like to help by volunteering at the drive, let me know! For more info on the donation process, visit www.marrow.org . For info about other upcoming drives, visit the "Bone Marrow Drives" section of Ethan's site - www.ethanpowell.com . There you can also find daily updates on Ethan. He relapsed last week and is in need of our prayers!