Don't fear donation process, donor says

Along the Five Points of Life Ride, 14 bicyclists are speaking about how important it is for people to donate blood and be on the national bone marrow registry. Margaret Volz should know -- she's a donor herself.

Volz donated bone marrow to a 14-year-old boy in 1985. The odds of finding an unrelated donor are extremely high, and that's why it's important for people to register on the national list, she said.

She also said that people shouldn't have any reservations about the bone marrow donation itself.

"If people have concern about the procedure, they should know it wasn't difficult at all," Volz said. "I was sore for a couple days, but that was it. Donating bone marrow is an amazing possibility to help others. The more people who sign up, the better chances other people have to survive. You never know when it will be you who needs blood or bone marrow."

People can sign up for the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry after visiting www.marrow.org and finding out all the requirements and the process of donating marrow. Since a medical professional must administer a blood test, donors can't sign up through the Web site.

People can donate blood at the Blood Bank of Mat-Su.

Interested people can call 376-1195 to make an appointment.