Miss Ava needs a bone marrow transplant. We are in the process of finding a donor. If you are unfamiliar, donating bone marrow is simple and easy. It usually requires just an overnight hospital stay if you are matched with a recipient. The process is super easy. You simply go to www.bethematch.org and click on the "Join" button on the upper right hand side of the screen. The website walks you through the registration process.
To register you simply have to answer some questions about your age and medical history. If the answers you provide align with donor requirements, they will mail you a test kit. Testing is super simple, it's just a cheek swab. And then you mail it back. It is that easy.
Miss Ava is not the only patient in need of a bone marrow donor, there are approximately 18,000 people each year that need a bone marrow donor (reference: https://bloodstemcell.hrsa.gov/donor-information/donate-bone-marrow/need-more-marrow-donors). If you are not a match for Miss Ava, maybe you would be a match for one of those individuals. I usually post my blog entries on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. I hope to help raise awareness by sharing this post to my social medias on the other days. I will do this at least through May, which is when we anticipate Miss Ava's transplant will take place. #bethematch y'all.