Bone Marrow Donor Program - Signing Up To Be A Donor

Discussion on the donation of bone marrow in the past usually centered on how painful it was as a long and thick needle would be injected in your bone to extract the marrow. 

Technology has since jumped leaps and there is now the option of Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Harvest (PBSC) which is similar to blood donation. This technological advancement allays my fear of extreme pain and i gamely sign up as a donor via the Bone Marrow Donor Program (BMDP).

A letter was soon delivered to my mailbox. I am aware that BMDP was recently in the news as it has been specially called up by the Ministry of Health for a special audit although i thought this negative publicity shouldn't stop us from stepping forward as a potential donor to help those urgently in need, e.g those suffering from leukemia. 

Anyway, the letter contained a swab kit that would need you to complete and mail back to the organisation. Instructions were simple even though i was initially taken aback by the items laid out in front me. Hence, don't think too much and just follow according to the instructions.

Swab holder and the sterile cotton-tipped swabs. For someone who has been a dental orderly, i am aware of the process to make sure i don't contaminate the swabs.  

Here's the fun part - you have two swabs; one for each side of your cheek and you are required to rub the insides of your cheek with sufficient pressure! It was so similar to brushing that i was tempted to rub against my teeth too! 

Put both swabs in the swab holder; i think i have put too much pressure as the tips were literally dripping. Can't help for having easily-activated salivary glands.

Packed and sealed the necessary documents and items using the given pre-addressed envelope.

And drop it off at the postal box! So what happen if you are a match? Basically, you would be called up for additional blood testing to verify your compatibility and health condition. You may choose to say no at this point but standing on the side of the patient and his/her family, i could only imagine their disappointment given that it's a life and death matter concerning their loved one. 

I don't think i am a hero to register myself as a donor (personally feel that this is a waste of donated funds). Rather, i just believe in karma and hope that i might be useful for someone in need of my bone marrow.

What are you waiting for? 

Sign up here. 

p.s. for the FAQs, click here. 

Volunteering to Clean Up Tombs @ Bukit Brown Cemetery

I have never been a "volunteer" kind of person and have rejected countless requests from friends who are keen to introduce me to the caring and passionate world of "volunteerism". 

Hence, it should surprise quite a few friends that i finally took on volunteering work last Sunday although it has nothing to do with the welfare of any living bodies! There's a reason why i don't want to volunteer at animal shelter, old folks home etc but that would be explained in a future posting. 

Anyway, the intention of our visit that day was to clean up the unkempt tomb of this lady who passed away back in 1934; she was Japanese and married into a Chinese family which could possibly mean she could be one of the earliest Japanese immigrants to Singapore! 

Reached the tomb without any difficulty, thanks to the two veterans who have been involved in such voluntary work in Bukit Brown for god knows how many years. It was hard work clearing the tomb with so much foliage surrounding it! 

A tree has also toppled across the tomb and there were only so many branches i can saw away using my half-past six skill! The ground was wet and muddy and i found irritating tree roots that have spread to the tomb mound! By the way, the above picture was taken when we were halfway done! 

My gloves at that stage. It gradually darkened by the end we were done with the clean up.

There were tonnes of earthworms buried in the ground; plump and juicy ones okay! I think i could have sold them for a good price to the anglers if i had collected all of them.

Sweeping is considered an easy chore for many. Try sweeping floor that was thickly caked with mud! We had to use a spade to scrape away the top layer before we can even attempt to sweep the tiled floor. 

Woah, it was a great satisfaction to see the "before" and "after"! Contrast the above photograph with the fourth one in this post and spot the differences! Tiles previously covered with green moss can finally show their beauty to the outside world!

With only five of us equipped with basic tools, we did the best we could in three hours although it would be a bonus if we could remove the toppled tree! However, i agreed with Ee Hoon that the tree did give the tomb a different vibe compared to the rest. 

The final "product" after much sweat! 

p.s. Muscle ache is a definite for the next few days.

Keen to Volunteer / Know More about Bukit Brown?
Join https://www.facebook.com/groups/bukitbrown/

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Additional Information

Things have changed a lot since i last visited Bukit Brown cemetery! There is a immensely helpful map that clearly charts out the various blocks and divisions.

Directional signs have also been improved with pictures of the tombs and even distance required to reach them! Now, this would really help those who are interested to pay the cemetery a visit yet worried that it would be hard to navigate! 

Be fast if you want to visit. Exhumation work for some sections of this cemetery has already started that would clear the land for the eventual building of new roads that are supposed to alleviate the traffic condition along Lornie road. 

Enjoy the beauty while you still can.