Since Maria Buhl's son was diagnosed with leukemia in 1995, she has looked for a way to make a difference with the bone marrow donor registry.

In September, the Delmar resident's vision will be realized when the Guilderland YMCA and the Guilderland Public Library pair up to host a Be the Match Bone Marrow Donor Drive. Joining the donor registry is as simple as getting a cheek swab and filling out paperwork.

According to the website http://bethematch.org, one in 500 people who sign up become donors in one of two ways: Peripheral blood stem cell donation or bone marrow donation. A PBSC donor receives injections of a medication that increases the number of blood-forming cells in their bloodstream. In a procedure a bit more complicated than a standard blood donation, blood is drawn from one arm and passed through a machine that separates out the blood-forming cells. The remaining blood is then returned through the other arm.

In bone marrow donations, which are done in a hospital operating room under anesthesia, needles are used to withdraw liquid marrow from the back of the pelvic bone.

Most donors are able to return to work, school and other activities within a week after donation, according to bethematch.org.

While at Albany Medical Center during her son's treatment, Buhl noticed a flier about a bone marrow drive in Albany. She registered and promptly forgot about it. Her son never needed a transplant, but she wanted to be able to help someone else. Buhl's son is now 21 and healthy. It wasn't until September 2013, 18 years later, that Buhl received an email saying she was a potential donor.

"I was overwhelmed with emotions and read the email at work so I had to excuse myself for a minute," she said.

A few days later, Buhl called the registry to confirm her identity and asked how they still had her information. The registry is so dedicated to tracking donors, they purchase any public records of people who fall off the grid, Buhl said.

In December 2013, she received another email telling her she would not need to donate, because the patient either found a better match, no longer was eligible for a match or decided not to pursue the treatment.

"I was so energized by being chosen that I felt deflated once I wasn't needed anymore," she said. "But who knows what will happen in the future?"

Excerpt from:
Hope runs deep

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