Quick Update - Maybe Match

In an earlier post at the beginning of the month, I wrote about an individual that signed up at the drive to honor my mom & her donor and that there may be a match for a patient in need.  I just learned that this person is a match and is moving forward with the next steps for testing!  If the donation goes forward, the transplant will be mid to late October. 

The type of transplant will be the Peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplant.  From the Be the Match site:

The same blood-forming cells (sometimes called blood stem cells) that can be donated from the bone marrow are also found in the circulating (peripheral) blood.Similar to a platelet donation, the donor's blood is passed through a machine that removes the needed cells and then the donor receives the remaining blood.

The individual will have some minor symptoms during the donation process, but according to Bruce, my mom's donor who also underwent the PBSC process, it mostly felt like the flu.

Its so interesting that this news is coming this week - as my dad writes in their blog Nani's Great Adventure (reminder there is music on this blog), my Mom is meeting Bruce in person!  Bruce and his family are going to be in St. Louis so my parents are driving over so that they can meet.  I'm so excited for both my mom and for Bruce!  Since their communications began earlier this year, they have become pretty close in their phone and email conversations.  I can't wait to hear all about how the visit went!