I think that anyone who has donated Bone Marrow knows what a painful and insidious procedure it is. However, because this procedure can save a life… it’s endured. Daniel Kraft, a pediatric oncologist and stem-cell researcher at Stanford University, has a great deal of experience harvesting bone marrow. Through his experience and research, Dr. Kraft developed a device called the Marrow Miner. This device quickly harvests bone marrow with minimal pain to the donor and may actually enable you to bank your own marrow stem cells when you’re young, in the unfortunate case you would need them later. I don’t know about you, but anything that might encourage more bone marrow donors is a good thing. This ultimately could result in an increased survival rate for those with diseases such as Leukemia and Lymphoma.
Check out Daniel Kraft’s Ted Talk, where he explains his new invention and the difference it can make in collecting bone marrow.
I will also do my part as a survivor to share my experiences and some of the things that have helped me. I believe this is an ingredient in survivorship and an important practice for anyone who has overcome cancer. By giving back we not only get to help others live…we continue to heal ourselves in the process. I’d love to hear your opinion on what you want to see more of here; I am all about some healthy dialogue!
