second donation

A little while ago I was contacted by DKMS Americas asking me if I would be willing to do a second donation for the bone marrow recipient. Of course I said yes, absolutely anything that I can do to help I will. This time I only have to donate white blood cells (last time it was white blood cells, red bloods cells, and platelets) so the process is even easier for me. I do not have to take the injections for the week beforehand, I just show up at the hospital to donate and they put the IVs in both arms, take the blood from one arm, separate out the white blood cells, and return the blood back to me through the other arm.

Tuesday I am going for my blood tests and May 2nd is the tentative date for the donation. May 2nd is Yom Hashoa also, Holocaust Memorial Day. It is actually fitting to donate on that date because Yom HaShoah is not meant to be a sad day, especially because it falls during the Jewish month of Nissan, a traditionally happy month. The date was supposed to be the 14th of Nissan to coincide with the date of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising but since this is the day before Passover it was moved to the 27th of Nissan. Yom HaShoah is supposed to remind us of the end of the Holocaust, the freeing of the Jews and other victims, although of course it is impossible not to be reminded of all the sadness as well. Anyway, what better way to free someone than to physically assist in giving them life. Let's all pray that everything is still going well with the little girl and that this second donation will help her to reach a full recovery.