Last month, the social news site encouraged its 30 million monthly visitors to register as bone marrow donors. That was after the redditors raised $50,000 to help the family of a three-year-old child pay for expenses related to his bone marrow treatment.
At least one redditor, posting under the appropriately direct name DonateYourMarrow, has found a match. And today, he’s doing a live question-and-answer session on the site.
Three posts about bone marrow donations have hit the site’s front page in less than a month. That translates to real benefits for patients. Since DonateYourMarrow’s post went live, the Bone Marrow Donor Center has received 650 new registrations—a jump in registrants that usually takes weeks.
“You magnificent bastards,” DonateYourMarrow wrote in an update. He’s now trying to get an even bigger registration drive going and is encouraging redditors from around the world to register in their countries.
If you’re in the United States and willing to take the leap, you can register at the Bone Marrow Donor Center. DonateYourMarrow warned, however, that only those are truly committed to the procedure should volunteer.
“There are tons of stories of donors backing out at the last minute … If the donor backs out at the last moment then the patient is left without an immune system and there chances of surviving are almost zero.”
But, really, what do you have to lose? There’s some discomfort related to the surgery, but as DonateYourMarrow put it: “At most I will have two weeks of pain and discomfort and may get to save a life. Worth it.”
Photo by beketchai
