THE GIFT OF LIFE: Black to donate stem cells
By Peter Forbes
Apache Staff
On Oct. 31, math instructor Wes Black will begin his journey to donate his stem cells to a leukemia patient.
On that day, Black will travel to a hospital in Kansas City where the medical procedure starts. But Black's participation in this process dates back to 1993 when he signed up to donate his stem cells at Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss.
Signing up required him to give a small amount of blood, which was tested so he could be matched with patients. He was listed in the National Marrow Donor Program Registry.
For eight years, nothing happened, and Black thought he was like most other people who have signed up since only one in 20,000 ever get a call back to go through with the donation.
Recently, however, Black was contacted. The computerized Registry had matched him with a patient.
"I matched in all six of the categories to qualify (for a donation), and you only need five of them," Black said.
In Kansas City, Black will go through five days of Filgrastim injections to increase the number of stem cells in his blood. Filgrastim is a protein similar to a hormone naturally produced in the body.
After the injections, the extraction will take place. Needles will be inserted in both of his arms. Blood will be removed from one arm and a machine will separate the stem cells from the blood. The remaining blood will be returned into the other arm.
"I'm not nervous at all," Black said. "I just hope the donation is successful."
He added, "Unfortunately, there is only a 40 to 70 percent chance of the patient accepting my stem cells."
Black's donation will go to a 55-year-old man he has never met.
"It doesn't matter who the person is," he said. "I just hope my donation helps him"
Responding to a comment that he's a hero for donating, Black said, "It's a lottery, and everyone who signed up to donate is as much of a hero as I am. It just so happened I am the one that had the best qualifications for the donation."