Mark made the decision to donate bone marrow without hesitation. He joined the Register about a year before the match and did not expect the call to arrive so quickly. When this happened, his position was firm: "I already understood then that if I joined, I had to go to the end. It makes no sense to agree and then refuse. You do understand that this may be the only chance for someone."
The preparation and the procedure itself, which lasted about three and a half hours, were organized and comfortable. Mark does not hide the fact that there were times when resilience was needed: "By evening, there were quite painful sensations in my back. But I understood that it was a million times harder for the patient. Everything went well with nurofen, the pain was bearable." He notes the well—coordinated work of the doctors and the clear organization of the process, where only one thing was required of the donor - to arrive on time.
Mark does not consider his act heroic: "I did not feel like a hero: I did not conquer Everest. I just did what I had to do." For him, the most important thing remains the very fact of being able to help: "You do a little bit, and the person gets a chance to move on. That's the coolest thing."
He urges not to believe myths and advises anyone who doubts: "Read the stories, ask the staff of the Federal Register or the donors themselves if you don't understand something."
Mark's story is about a simple but important determination. About what it means to keep your word to yourself and be responsible for another person's life. We thank Mark for his courage and willingness to do such an important thing!
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