{"id":5005,"date":"2019-06-26T12:50:35","date_gmt":"2019-06-26T16:50:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/?p=5005"},"modified":"2019-06-26T12:52:45","modified_gmt":"2019-06-26T16:52:45","slug":"what-was-it-like","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/what-was-it-like\/","title":{"rendered":"What Was It Like?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"puzzle<\/a>
DNA matching is essential to a successful stem cell transplant<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

She\u2019s back. Our data processer is back in her usual seat, glued to her computer as usual. Entering the data of recent donations to Ezer Mizion\u2019s Bone Marrow Registry<\/strong>. Doing her part to help save lives around the globe.\u00a0 As if everything were normal. As if she had not just now come back from Israel<\/strong>. As if she herself had not just donated her stem cells to save the life of a middle-aged woman with AML.<\/a><\/p>\n

But there\u2019s a difference. There\u2019s a glow on her face. While her co-workers continue their varied tasks to benefit the Registry, she, a young girl, had experienced something that most people can only dream of. She had saved a life<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll let her tell you her story.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone knows what getting through customs is like. Endless. After what seems to be hours (but was probably much less), I got impatient and asked someone how long it will be. \u2018What are you here for?\u2019 the staff member asked.<\/p>\n

\u2018To donate stem cells<\/strong> through Ezer Mizion.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018Ohhhh. Come with me.\u2019<\/p>\n

I was given VIP treatment. In a matter of seconds, I \u2013 the \u201cqueen\u201d –\u00a0 was through.<\/p>\n

When I got through customs, I immediately spotted some people from Ezer Mizion holding a big sign with my name on it. It felt so welcoming. I received the royal treatment. I was given a room at Ezer Mizion’s Oranit, such a beautiful room, usually meant for cancer patients and their families to use during the period of treatment to avoid exhausting travel. \u00a0Ezer Mizion bent over backwards to be sure I had what I needed.\u00a0 When I wanted to go somewhere, Dr. Bracha Zisser, Director of Ezer Mizion\u2019s Bone Marrow Registry<\/strong>, a person with never a second to spare, casually said to me, \u2018Get in my car. I\u2019ll just take you.\u2019 as if she had nothing at all to do that day.<\/p>\n

\"stem<\/a>
Life saving stem cells<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I received shots to increase my stem cells<\/strong> for four days before the Big Day. The first day I felt fine but as the days passed, I began to feel flu-like with some pain in the lower back. No big deal but uncomfortable. Then came Transplant Day. I had been nervous about it. Would it hurt? Would I feel sick? Would it take me a long time to recuperate? I was so surprised to see that I felt fine. I spent the time at Ezer Mizion\u2019s new Harvesting Center in a very comfortable chair listening to music and talking to my sister. I shared the room with someone else who was also donating stem cells<\/strong>. We had a contest as to who would finish first. At twelve o\u2019clock, they checked my cells. Were there enough? The results came in and I was done. Who won the contest? Me!<\/p>\n

Being there made everything seem so real. There were so many people donating stem cells<\/strong>. So many sick people in need of a transplant<\/strong>. And so many still waiting for the genetic match<\/strong> that will save their life. So scary. What if\u2026?<\/p>\n

I saw families at Oranit. Little kids playing at an indoor playground. One little boy who won my heart. He was having a fantastic time at the Petting Zoo, teaching a mouse to successfully go through a maze. Such a sweet little boy. I pray he\u2019ll be alright.<\/p>\n

In another year or two, I hope to be able to meet the woman whose life I saved. It will be my blood that will be flowing through her veins. \u00a0I don\u2019t think we\u2019ll have to be introduced. I think we\u2019ll just know.<\/p>\n

Now I\u2019m back at my desk. Everything seems so normal. I hope I\u2019ll never forget what it felt like to be among those facing life-threatening diseases. I hope all of you will continue your generous donations so that the registry can grow, so that more people can be genetically tested<\/strong>, so that all of those waiting will have a matching stem cell<\/strong> donor like me to save their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"DONATE-TODAY-BUTTON-3\"<\/a><\/p>\n\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"pinterest\"<\/a>\"linkedin\"<\/a>\"mail\"<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

She\u2019s back. Our data processer is back in her usual seat, glued to her computer as usual. Entering the data […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[95],"tags":[741,1244,1245,762,1246,7,1055,36,193,11],"class_list":["post-5005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bone-marrow-registry","tag-bone-marrow-registry","tag-donate-stem-cells","tag-donating-stem-cells","tag-genetic-match","tag-genetically-tested","tag-israel","tag-saved-a-life","tag-stem-cell","tag-stem-cells","tag-transplant"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5005"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5005\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5010,"href":"http:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5005\/revisions\/5010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}