It’s one thing to step up and part with the red stuff, but it takes a whole other level of commitment to donate one’s bone marrow.
This year’s Defence Blood Drive has included an especially enthusiastic response from across the three services with potentially life-saving blood donated to help meet the ever-present demand for blood, plasma and platelets.
Flight Lieutenant Geordie Jacobs knows all too well the importance of blood donation, by not only rolling up his sleeves, but also the very generous commitment of donating his bone marrow.
He is now a registered bone marrow donor and would not hesitate to donate to an Australian in need.
“I donated at Westmead Hospital in Sydney and the recipient had also travelled there as the marrow was very literally taken from me and put in him immediately,” Flight Lieutenant Jacobs said.
“The donation went well and after a stay in the hospital I was discharged. I was fairly heavily drugged up but felt good knowing I had given what I could to someone who really needed it.”
While Flight Lieutenant Jacobs admitted the commitment to and the procedure for donating bone marrow was deeper than that of blood donation, being identified as a potential donor was relatively simple.
He knew it would likely save someone’s life.
“I am blood type O Negative, so my whole blood and platelets can be given to anyone – my plasma can only go to other O-type blood persons, so it is mainly used in the fabrication of medical products like vaccines,” Flight Lieutenant Jacobs said.
“In 2015, while donating at the Canberra donation centre in Garran, I was asked if I would consider being a stem cell or bone marrow donor. I filled in the forms they had on hand, and they took an extra vial of blood from my donation, and used it to match me with someone in need of either stem cells or bone marrow.
“Four years later I was contacted by the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR) to see if I would be willing to donate bone marrow and I was one of five who matched with someone who had a type of blood cancer whose only option at that point was a donation. I did not know the recipient of my bone marrow. I was told he had leukaemia and that he lived in Queensland.”
Flight Lieutenant Jacobs is encouraging colleagues in Air Force and across the ADF to donate blood, having now done it more than 100 times himself.
Is it worth the effort to potentially save the lives of those in need? Flight Lieutenant Jacobs is convinced it is.
“Absolutely. Neither a bone marrow or stem cell donation are really that hard knowing the impact it could have,” Flight Lieutenant Jacobs said.
“Living with blood disorders or cancer is much worse. Globally there are very few registered donors, but the ABMDR is part of a global network of registers known as the World Marrow Donor Association.
“If I had matched with someone in the UK, France, Italy, or the United States, I would have been flown there to donate. Convincing people to join has not been difficult, however, you need to be aged 18-35 to donate, so getting registered while you’re young is important.”
The Defence Blood Drive runs until December 8 and anyone wishing to register can do so through the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood.
For more information about becoming a bone marrow donor visit the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry.
