Undercover life saver
I save lives. I do. I don’t mean it metaphorically either; I mean it quite literally.
I don’t do it alone, not by a long shot. I don’t run into burning buildings. I’ve never had to take my CPR skills out in the real world. I have yet to suck the poison out of anyone’s body.
But I am a bone marrow courier. And every time I take a journey, a life is saved.
It’s kind of amazing when you think about it: One person is sick. Another person’s body holds the fix. But the two might never meet. That’s where the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) registry comes in.
All that’s needed to join the registry is a cheek swab. People swab up, sign up and, if they are ever needed, they get called up. Matches are found every day all around the world and every day people’s lives are saved.
Every day.
Once the donation is set up, that’s where I — and other couriers just like me — come in. We volunteer to pick that donation up from wherever in the world it might be to deliver to the patient in need of it, wherever they might be.
Just me and my little blue cooler against the world.
I’m not going to lie to you, I love the travel — I do — even to the tiniest of places. I love the planes, trains and automobiles. I love the people I meet along the way. I love getting out of my little bubble and reminding myself that we are all specks in this giant universe and there is always more to see and explore and understand.
But more than anything, I love playing a part in something that seems so far outside of my own universe. I could never make it through med school. Science is not even my second-best subject. Math isn’t even on my radar. And I don’t love the sight of blood let alone anything beyond that.
I’m not strong. I’m not particularly brave. I’m not involved in terribly risky happenings. So, saving lives always seemed like something I’d have to take off my list.
Enter NMDP.
They need weirdos like me with remote jobs and no little kids at home who have nerves of steel and a MacGyver brain when it comes to travel and logistics.
I’m smart and friendly and patient and kind.
I am a Girl Scout to the nth degree when it comes to rule following, and I love the trainings because school is my jam. I am good at the covert aspect, since HIPAA rules mean staying as much under the radar as possible when I’m on a trip. I am super well-traveled and can figure out the train system no matter the country or the language.
And, speaking of languages, I, strangely, have an ear for many.
So yes, I am a bit geeky by all accounts. But for this gig, geekiness is queen.
There are lots of forms and protocol, and every once in a while, I mess things up a bit. But mostly I thrive in this tidy little world impeccably designed and managed by the most incredible people, keeping the wheels turning and the cogs greased in this fast-paced, ever-changing, massive and life-saving pursuit.
And I get to play my little part. And, each time I do, I feel a little better about this crazy world we live in that only seems to be getting crazier, which means a lot. It can be tough to find any hope some days. But knowing that a stranger is willing to do this for another stranger — donate marrow or stem cells, I mean — makes me feel like the human race still has a chance.
My wife is my rock when I am on the route. At the ready, with a “You got this!” when flights are inevitably delayed, and trains are off-schedule, and things aren’t going quite as planned. She keeps the home fires burning and reminds me how important this work is — because it is.
NMDP also works hard to advocate for patients and donors alike, training many of us to be ambassadors and working to make sure there are laws in place that support patients and donors alike. That means fundraising too, of course. And, should you like to help, you can do that at Fundraise.NMDP.org.
And if you want to join the registry, you can find out more about that at NMDP.org/Get-Involved/Join-The-Registry. MMDP is not currently seeking couriers, in case you were wondering. But you can find out more about what is required at Volunteer.NMDP.org/CourierProgram.
I want to be remembered — not my name necessarily, but my good acts. I want to do something that deserves remembering. I think this is it. I don’t even know who will hold the memory, maybe just the universe itself. But I know that this work I do will be remembered.
It will be remembered that a person took the time and effort to make sure that another person would live, no matter the distance or the hours or the weather. The mission will be completed.
And somewhere, a family sighs with relief; friends gather with joy, because someone they love gets another day. And that is something we can all celebrate.