URI Student Gives Marrow, Saves a Life

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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Brooke Constance White, GoLocalProv Correspondent

This past summer, Univerity of Rhode Island sophomore, Rachel Sliwkowski, did a cheek swab in Charleston, SC, to see if she was a bone marrow match for anyone. Not long after the test, she began getting phone calls every day to tell her a match had been found.

“At first, I avoided their calls but then they found me on Facebook and during that same time, my cousin got diagnosed with leukemia, so I knew that it was the right thing to do,” Sliwkowski said. “It's not that hard to find someone with your blood type because they are only a few different kinds, but finding someone with the same tissue type is very rare because tissue types differ so much.”

After she decided to move forward with the process, many tests and examinations took place to confirm that she was a match and also to make sure that she was in top physical health.

Looking back on the procedure, Sliwkowski says that donating bone marrow isn't really a big deal.

“Technology is so advanced now that they don't have to drill into your bone to get marrow anymore.” Sliwkowski said. “All they have to do is remove blood through a needle and take the plasma, white blood cells, and marrow and then put the filtered blood back into your body.”

The biggest challenge

For Sliwkowski, the worst part, was the five days leading up the donation.

“For five days prior to the donation, they gave me a shot in each arm that increased stem cell and marrow reproduction in my bones so that it would overflow into my blood, which made my body really sore--like growing pains.” Sliwkowski said. “The actual donation procedure was supposed to be two five hour long appointments on two separate days but instead it only took six hours, because the sample they got from me was so good.”

Since the donation, Sliwkowski has gotten a lot of positive feedback. “It made a world of a difference to the guy I was a match for, but it wasn't that hard or painful for me,” she said. “I want people to be educated about it and to find out if they could be a match for someone.”

To find out more about marrow donation, read up on it, here.

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