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Tzu Chi Compassion and Relief Bone Marrow Donor Drive

               March 15 Sunday
    Mellon Institute Social Room (Bellefield Ave. Oakland)
                        10am to 3:30pm

Q & A:  *** about Bone Marrow Donation ***

??? Are they going to stick a needle into my spine?
NO!  The Bone Marrow Donation process is SIMPLE and PAINLESS.  Medical
professionals will only take 5% bone marrow from the back of your Pelvic
Bone.  (NOT from spine!)  And this 5% of Bone Marrow will recover within
a few weeks.

??? Is there any risk whatsoever?
This process is 99.9999% risk free.  The only .0001% comes from the
possible allergic reaction of anesthesia.  Doctors won't anesthetize
you, if you are allergic to it.

??? What if my health condition is bad when they found a match with me?
If the HLA is matched with a patient, you can decide at that time
according to your willingness and health condition whether to donate.



The TRUTHS: *** PROCESS of Bone Marrow Donation *** 

* If you are between the ages of 18 and 60, you are eligible to be a
marrow donor.  Just go to a Tzu Chi drive site to fill out a form and
take a blood test.  Only about 15 ml of your blood will be collected.

* Your blood sample will be analyzed, and your human leukocyte antigen
type (called HLA type) will be entered into the database for patients to
search for matches.

* If the computer shows that you are a preliminary match with a patient,
the Tzu Chi donor center will contact you for further tests.

* If you are found to be a perfect match, the medical staff will explain
to you the actual donation process.  You will also receive a complete
physical exam and counseling.

* The donation process is done under anesthesia and takes about an hour.
 The doctor uses a special needle to extract about 5% of the body marrow
from the back of your pelvic bone.

* After an overnight stay in the hospital, you can go home and resume
your normal life.  The lost marrow will replenish itself within a few
weeks.

--- Written and Published by Tzu-Chi Foundation

There are over 3500 leukemia/blood cancer patients in need for a bone
marrow transplant to survive.
Please help... YOU MAY BE THE ONE THEY ARE LOOKING FOR.  :)