My Book/Movie Review

WOW!

I've never cried so hard at a story like I did with this one. I read the book first, and I must say, as it always is.. the book was better than the movie. But regardless, they were both great!

Here is a small synopsis of the story line-- it's amazing!

In “My Sister’s Keeper” story of 13-year-old Anna, who has undergone countless surgeries, bone marrow donations, and transfusions all to help keep her older sister Kate alive.

Kate has been battling Leukemia since childhood. (AML)

Her parents, Sara and Brian, have been doing everything they can to keep Kate alive, ever since the day they discovered the abnormal bruising on Kate’s spine when she was 3 years old. At the time they had another child, Jesse, but he wasn’t a compatible donor. That’s when they decided to have another child Anna, genetically engineered to be the perfect donor for Kate.

Things get messy when Anna’s parents inform her she’ll have to give up one of her kidneys to Kate to keep her alive. Anna does the unthinkable and hires a lawyer for legal emancipation for medical purposes against her parents. After being poked and prodded for years she wants the rights to her own body.

The story really tackles the ethics behind stem cell research, genetically manipulated offspring and the dynamics of family. Right off the bat, it’s easy to make a decision about what you think is wrong and right in this story. The story is told from a different character’s perspective and after hearing each person’s point of view the situation is no longer black and white.

The reason I liked the book and movie so much is because of the personal experience I have had in donating stem cells to a 42 year old woman with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). I was a 5 for 5 match for a woman I never knew. Nobody else in her family/relatives were near the match that I was. They need my stem cells as opposed to my bone marrow, because her illness was more advanced and stem cells reach the blood stream much quicker than bone marrow. So that is what I gave. My situation is a different scenario than that of the movie, but because of my experience, this is a topic that is close to my heart. This movie is hard to watch- the book is hard to read, but it is well worth every minute! Below is my short story on my experience- although different, it's my experience and I am proud of it.

I donated to the same recipient twice. She got her first set of my stem cells in November 2004. I had to take 5 days of Filgrastim shots. These shots pretty much just opened my bones so they could take out more stem cells than what your body normally produces into your blood. It's painful process. I felt sore all over and like I had been hit by a Semi-Truck. I lacked all energy. After the 5 days of shots, I had to donate for 2 days. The days were about 5 hours each and I was in a chair with a needle in each arm. They essentially take out all of my blood within these 2 days. They filtered out my stem cells and replace the old blood back into my body. As soon as the donation is complete, they transport the stem cells to the recipient who is waiting in the hospital for your donation. It was a painful process, however- it's nothing compared to what the cancer patients go through each and every day. That is how I got through it. I just thought of her and knew my journey was nothing compared to what she has gone through with this disease. My recipient did well after the first donation. She got to go home for Christmas. In March I was contacted my the Bone Marrow Registry people and said my recipient was not doing well. I did the donations again. The 2nd time was a little harder. My blood did not want to pump. Vains were blowing out because they were still healing from the 1st donations. We got as much stem cells as we could possible get, but it was not the amount they would have liked to have gotten. But all veins in my arms and hands had blown and my body just was not pumping as much as the first time. Unfortunately, 1 month to the day of my last donation, my recipient lost her battle to cancer. I never got to meet her. I have no idea who she was or where she lived. But I can only imagine the pain she had to endure. I wish I could have known her. I think of her like a twin sister that I never knew. For me to be one in a million of a match for her-- it's amazing. Our DNA's were so similar, and to think we were not related--it's just astounding. I hope to meet her face to face one day in heaven. I believe she will be waiting for me there to hug me. To say thanks. But I need to thank her-- she gave me compassion that I never knew I had. I would donate again in a heartbeat. Forget the bruising, the bone pain, the tiredness, the exhaustion of being the donor. It's the thought of helping someone. Helping someone to the point that you are their only chance in life. It's an amazing feeling and I am just sad that my attempt to help her failed. The only thing that brings me peace is that I tried. I tried my hardest to save her life. I did everything I could to help. She got to go home for her last Christmas because of me, and for that, I am thankful!

The National Bone Marrow Registry is always looking for members to join. I have always been an avid blood donor, since my cousin (who is a hemophiliac) was given a bad blood transfusion when he was 14. He contracted AIDS from this bad blood. Since this point, I have been an advocate in donating blood regularly if you are healthy enough to do so. One day while donating, the National Bone Marrow Registry folks were at the donor center. I spoke with them and signed up. It was over 6 years before I was ever contacted. Some people will never be contacted. You never know. I had no clue this would ever be me. But it was an experience of a lifetime I will never forget.

Within every one of us is the power to heal. Members of the Be The Match marrow registry stand ready to fight for those with life-threatening diseases like leukemia. If you would like more information about joining the registry or would like to take the first step: please visit the marrow registry at www.BeTheMatch.org. Who knows? You could be the one to save a life.