Additional Resources

If you go to only one source, let this one be it! The Be The Match Registry run by the National Marrow Donor Program. The most critical link with the mother load of information ranging from how to sign up to be in the donor database, what the PBSC and bone marrow donation procedures are like, FAQ’s, donor and recipient stories and first time meetings: 

     - Donor stories (blog)

     - Donor experiences (short videos)

     - Recipient stories (blog)

     - The Donation Process, Step-By-Step (web page)

     - The Search for a Donor (blog with video (2:10))

     - Check out the Be The Match Channel on YouTube

General Information and The Bone Marrow Donation Process:

     - You could be 'The One' someone is looking for (Video, 1:01)

     - Bone Marrow Donation by the numbers (Video, 3:51)

     - Robin Roberts PSA, "What would you say if you were asked to save a life?" (Video, 0:32)

     - Want to watch a 6 year old explain the process to you, while acting out all the parts? (Video, 9:08) 

     - An animated/short clip of how to sign up and donate. The cow is the best part (Video, 2:44) 

     - Donate your baby’s umbilical cord blood to a public cord bank (Video, 0:55)

     - Dr. Jeffrey Chell, CEO of NMDP in 2007, speaks with Katie Couric (a bit awkward at times but

       great info!) (Video, 5:23) 

      - Someone is looking for their "Perfect 10", it might be you (Video, 1:34)


From the Donor’s Point of View (Blogs and Videos):

     - A PBSC donor's blog. She continued to write after her donation and the site includes her  

       donor advocacy work and meeting her recipient (be prepared to spend some time here!) 

     - A wonderful blog of a PBSC donor with a comprehensive resource list of weblinks 

     - A blog written by a serious foodie I found by accident because she mentioned her PBSC donation

       experience. Read her donation experience then go back for the recipes. 

     - A short(ish) blog of a marrow donor’s experience. 
     
     - A donor's blog who gave PBSC in November 2012.

     - Mandi's blog about her PBSC experience, one of the first donor blogs up detailing the process. To
       locate older posts, click on the 'Home' tab then scroll to the bottom of the screen. Click on the black
       "Older Posts" button to navigate to the beginning of her Filgrastim injections.

     - And just to show that all donor experiences are different, a PBSC donor's blog who did a follow-
       up T-cell donation. Navigate to the Archives on the right side of the page and go to May 2011 to
       start at the beginning.

     - Sara’s Experience as a PBSC donor from Day 1 of Filgrastim to post-collection (Video, 10:58)

     - Two women share their marrow donation experiences (Video, 3:58) 

     - A Day in the Life of a Hero – follow multiple donors through different steps of the process. A bit
       dated but still has great information. (Video, 10:00) 

From the Recipient’s Point of View:

     - Robin Roberts (Good Morning America host) blog detailing her bone marrow transplant.

     - Donors give patients hope (Video, 4:21)

     - Resources and support for the patient, family, caregivers, and friends of life post-BMT 

     - Youtube channel of a 2 time bone marrow transplant recipient as he goes through the process

     - Cancer survivors talk about their diagnoses, search for a donor, and what being cancer-free
       means to them (Video, 5:18)  

     - Graft versus Host Disease (GVHD): when it's good and when it's bad (Video, 4:23)

First Time Meetings between Donors and their Recipients:

     - Donor and Recipient meet for the first time on Good Morning America. This segment inspired
       thousands across the country to join the Be The Match registry (Video, 7:30)

     - Katie, donor, meets her recipient, Gregory, for the first time (Video, 4:09)

     - See more first-time donor/recipient meetings, there are plenty on YouTube!
      

How it all Happens, the People working behind the Scene:

     - Take a tour of the facility where all the donor cheek cell swabs/blood samples are kept (Video, 3:21)

     - A Be the Match Registry Search Coordinator speaks as to why she does what she does (Video, 2:10) 

Courier stories (news articles):

     - U.S. Based Courier for the Be The Match Registry of the National Marrow Donor Program
       (http://www.bethematch.org)

     - UK Courier for the Anthony Nolan Trust (http://www.anthonynolan.org/)

     - Canadian Courier for the Bruce Denniston Bone Marrow Society
       (www.dennistonsocietyottawa.org/)

     - Some of the special challenges bone marrow couriers face while trying to complete their life saving
       mission.

     - A blog written by a bone marrow courier with the Be The Match Registry of the National Marrow
       Donor Program (http://www.bethematch.org).

Talk nerdy to me (if you haven't had enough, delve into the medical side of transplants):

     - From the Transplant Doctor’s Point of View: A scientific article from the journal Hematology
       discussing how stem cell donors are evaluated and common side effects reported by both marrow
       and PBSC donors:

     - From the Transplant Nurse's Point of View: A newsletter for transplant nurses on a bone marrow
       transplant floor at Stanford Hospital.