24-year-old Denver male to donate bone marrow without knowing recipient
Craig Koehler, 24-year-old Colorado native and Resolution Research IT Director, is about to donate his bone marrow at a local hospital in a couple of weeks after signing up to be a bone marrow donor through the Love Hope Strength Foundation, a music-centric cancer charity.
Craig’s contributing his marrow through the traditional surgical method. This method requires Craig to be put under sedation, at which point the doctor makes an incision on each side of his lower back to allow for liquid marrow to be removed from his pelvic bones. And that’s not all. Craig will likely require a blood transfusion, albeit using his own cleansed blood, after the marrow is taken. Due to the cleansing his immune system will be greatly reduced.. I know he’s young and extremely healthy, but as with all surgeries, there are risks — a small percentage (1.34%) of donors experience a serious complication due to anesthesia or damage to bone, nerve or muscle in their hip region. But no matter what– there will certainly be pain & downtime.
When I asked Craig about these side effects, he said, “The doctors told me there is going to be pain – probably for a few days, but recovery should be complete in probably two weeks.”
Being his 40 something boss who thinks he’s a phenomenal person with the glory of youth, plus amazing talents, brains, and beauty both inside & out, I’m worried, although that’s not really the right word. I’m wowed actually. Wowed & worried.
When I asked Craig what made him decide to donate his bone marrow – did he know someone who needed bone marrow or… he said, “No, I just wanted to do something to make a difference, to help someone else live. I figured a few days of pain is nothing if it can help someone else live a longer, healthier life.”
Wow. Wow. Wow. Craig’s uncle was diagnosed with cancer and he told me his mother said she would have done anything to help her brother if she could. From what I can tell, Craig took his mom’s lesson to another level with his ability to look at the big picture with true and honest compassion. Life isn’t just about helping those we know and love, but all of humanity. Thank you, Craig, for sharing such a wonderful lesson. All of our hats at Resolution are off to you — and on behalf of humanity, I thank you.
Nina Nichols, President & CEO
http://twitter.com/NinaNichols
ResolutionResearch.com
ResolutionPanel.com