Jessica heard about Be The Match back in high school, but didn’t know enough about the organization and donation process to want to get involved. She was under the false impression that donating your marrow and blood stem cells was incredibly painful and fairly invasive.
Over time she learned more and now has developed a strong interest in
what Be The Match does to help patients. Jessica hopes to bring awareness to others of how easy it can be to potentially save a life.
What inspired Jessica to start a birthday fundraiser
Last summer, Jessica joined the Be The Match Registry as a potential blood stem cell donor after hearing the story of Ruby, a five-year-old little girl who’s fighting to find a donor that can help cure her sickle cell disease. Jessica has a 15-month-old baby herself and so this patient story pulled a little extra on her heart strings. Because of this and her deep desire to want to help, she decided to join the registry.
Fast forward to today, and Jessica felt like it was the right time to take that next step and begin fundraising. With her 33rd birthday coming up this year, Jessica’s goal was to raise $330. She surpassed that goal within the first week of fundraising, serving as a source of inspiration and motivation.
Donate to Jessica's fundraiser
The most rewarding part about fundraising
Jessica doesn’t have any experience with asking others for financial donations. So, she was feeling a little overwhelmed and nervous, not knowing how people would react. But, stepping outside of her comfort zone proved to be a very positive experience for her.
“I’m just so impressed with the turnout and number of folks that have supported me in my fundraising goal.,” she says.
She also said she was pleasantly surprised to receive donations from people she didn’t even know as well.
What Jessica wants to tell others about her experience with Be The Match
Jessica feels fortunate that she hasn’t had any loved ones who’ve needed a bone marrow transplant. Yet, she still has a genuine passion for wanting
to help those who are fighting to find a cure. She encourages others to sign up to join the registry even if they don’t have a personal connection.
Jessica says, “You don’t have to wait until you know someone afflicted with a life-threatening blood cancer. I’m a big believer in being ready for anything. You never know when you or a loved one might be in need of this service.”
