As a SAHM it’s super easy to get stuck in my own little world.
For the most part, I’m healthy, my kids are healthy, and we’re living a pretty charmed life. But not everyone is. And God forbid, that might not always be our story. That’s one reason why I love social media. It really opens up your mind and heart to suffering. To pain. To other’s needs. And, often, it prompts me to find a way to help. To participate in a cause. To say, “Yes, I can do a small part to make a big difference.”
That’s what led me to join Be The Match.
Well, that altruistic desire that seems to be birthed with motherhood and the fact that my own dear mama had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Which is a whole story for another day because miraculously, after her diagnosis and surgery it was determined that what presented as cancer was actually a benign tumor!
Our family’s medical crisis made me want to do something. Something that offered support and care and solidarity to someone who was hurting in ways I couldn’t imagine. I didn’t know exactly how to help, but I wanted to something. So I kept my eye out.
Around the time of my mom’s diagnosis last Spring, I was up late working and if I remember correctly I saw something on TV about Be The Match. It sounded simple. And meaningful. Something I could do. It wouldn’t help my mom directly. But it would help someone who was experiencing an awful illness. So I jumped online and ordered a free kit.
Joining the bone marrow registry through Be the Match was the easiest thing. Seriously, just a few minutes of paperwork and a cheek swab. And now I’m part of a community that is ready and willing to offer an element of life to someone in need. Because here’s the deal — a marrow transplant is a key step in treatment for more than 70 diseases. Patients usually turn to family first to find a match, but that only happens 30% of the time time. The other 70%? That’s where Be The Match comes in. That’s where you and I come in.
Now, if I actually get the call to donate someday, I know it won’t be without sacrifice. There will be time spent and some minor medical procedures. But will it be worth it? Yes, I 100% believe so.
Take Kamryn for example. She is an 11-year-old patient currently searching for her match. She has sickle cell anemia and has had 5 matches in the past, but for one reason or another, they were unable to donate. So, Kamryn is still sick. And still looking for her match. Hear more of her story in this clip and join the bone marrow registry at join4kami.org.
As SAHMs we’re constantly pouring into our own kid’s lives; giving everything we have to help them learn and keep them the healthy. But what if we needed help? What if we needed a stranger to say, “Yes, I care about your child and their future too!”? Be the stranger that says yes to another family and play a small part in turning their suffering into joy. You could be the match they’re looking for.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.