Zoe donated stem cells and tells us about her experience. Join the registry and you could save a life too. Text WIFC to 61474

Maggie wants you to know how easy and painless it was to donate stem cells to save a life. Join Be the Match text WIFC 61474

Debbie lost her daughter to leukemia after she was unable to find a match on the registry.  Please join to save a life, text WIFC 61474

Paul shares his experience with bone marrow donation and enthusiastically encourages you to join the Be the Match registry.  After saving a life through bone marrow donation he went on to donate a kidney to save another life!

Stella's story will warm your heart and make you want to be on the Be The Match registry. Here's here story....

WIFC's Be The Match RadioThon is on!! But why??? What is it??? Why is it important to you?? All that answered here with Be The Match expert..Jessica Klingberg!

It started with a need and she filled it..here's Mandy's story on becoming a donor on the Be The Match Registry..!!

WIFC's Be The Match RadioThon is on today!! Find out how easy it is to become a donor and get on the registry with expert Jessica Klingberg...

Three years ago I donated stem cells to an unrelated individual very close to my age, and it changed my life for many reasons. I shared my story with classmates and friends, which inspired them to join the registry. I also created a Be the Match on Campus student chapter at my alma mater, UW-Stevens Point. To this day, Be the Match holds a special place in my heart, and even though I wasn't able to meet my recipient, I hope to continue to support theorganization for the rest of my life.

Donation Type: Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Collection Collection Date: 05/2011 “I found the donation to be an easy one. I experienced no serious discomfort. I used my experience to help start the UWO Be The Match organization. “

I received a haplo bone marrow transplant in 2015 that failed to engraft. In 2017 we found a perfect match and did a stem cell transplant in September. This one did engraft, but I’m now dealing with severe GVHD.

Kim's niece was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. She was 31 years old. She was married and had a young daughter. She was told she needed a bone marrow transplant so the entire family joined the registry to see if anyone was a match. To everyone's dismay, out of the hundreds of people who came and tried to save her, there was no match for her and she passed away.  So when Be The Match called Kim 9 years later and told her that she was a match for a 5 year old boy how could she say no? "All I could think of was what if it was one of my children? What if they needed marrow and therew as not a match or worse yet there was a match out there and the person decided they would NOT give the marrow? I could not even imagine how I would feel." Kim donated and saved 5 year old Bridger's life. A year later she met him and has since built a relationship with him. She is helping Bridger, now 14, complete his Eagle Scout project. He is building his own registry through Be The Match and he is in need of non-caucasian people to complete his list. If you qualify you can help him by signing up on his registry  https://join.bethematch.org/s/ landing?language=en_US&ref= bridgergivesback&refUrl= ENDREFURL

"In 2006 I was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer called Ewing's Sarcoma," recalls Stephanie. "At the age of 22, I had to leave college and start a one year journey of chemotherapy and radiation. After a long year of treatment, I was deemed cancer free." Stephanie's story took a turn only a few months after she returned to school. "I was again back in college when I started feeling ill again. It was shortly after, I learned I relapsed with yet another cancer. This time I was diagnosed with ALL, caused from my treatment for Ewing's Sarcoma. This diagnosis put me on the fast track for a stem cell transplant (bone marrow transplant)."  Stephanie's family was tested for a match, but no luck. Her doctors turned to the bone marrow registry where they found a 100% match...in GERMANY! They have built a relationship over the past 10 years. It's because of him Stephanie is living a cancer free life, "I'm married and have two little boys, and work part time as a registered nurse. I think that's a good start to my life story." You can be someone's life saver by joining the bone marrow registry, text WIFC to 61474.

"Early Fall of 2006 I could tell I felt tired more often, even walking up stairs felt like a chore," Brad recalls. "I went to an Urgent Care for a sore throat close to Thanksgiving. The doctor on call noticed how I looked and took blood tests. I was admitted to the hospital an hour later receiving blood infusions. It was determined after more tests that I was suffering from Aplastic Anemia. I was quickly put in contact with Children's Hospital of WI where a plan was put together. My family was tested for bone marrow matches and my sister turned out to be a match! I was admitted to CHW early in December of 2006 and received my life-saving bone marrow transfusion on December 22nd." Brad was lucky enough to have a family match, but 70% of people needing a transplant are not that lucky. Be The Match text WIFC to 61474.

Elliot was 8 years old when he found out he needed a bone marrow transplant because he had Aplastic Anemia. He and his mom, Amanda, join Nikki to talk about his diagnosis, treatment plan and how a bone marrow transplant saved his life.  Learn how you can save a life by joining the bone marrow registry through Be The Match at WIFC.com. Text WIFC to 61474 to order your swab kit today.