One of Hands On Twin Cities' newest affiliate organizations is the National Marrow Donor Program. Marrow and blood donation programs are always interesting for us because, while they're well-known needs (who hasn't seen a Give Blood ad? And we're not talking about those Give Blood: Play Hockey t-shirts, because we're pretty sure the ice doesn't need it), they're not really thought of as being "volunteer opportunities".

And yet, marrow and blood (and whatever else you've got to spare) donation is, in some ways, the ultimate volunteerism experience. Rather than donating your time, your skills, and your hard work to help people in your community (directly or indirectly), you are donating a part of your body to be given directly to another person's body to help them recover from illness or injury. Heavy...

Please understand: we are not belittling the countless volunteers who brighten the lives of hospital patients with friendly visits or rake their neighbors' yards or deliver Meals on Wheels or what-have-you. There are many levels and styles of volunteerism, and they are all important. Bone Marrow Donation is just one of the most intense (which is why you can't do it every day), and it yeilds some of the most amazing results (i.e. someone gets to recover from lymphoma).

We are ranting about this today because one half of this blog's older brother (Skip) recently donated bone marrow. While in college, he was tested and entered into the national database because the volunteer spirit compelled him to. And then he moved to South Carolina, forgetting to leave a forwarding address for the Marrow People. A few months ago, the National Marrow Donor Program invoked the power of the internet and tracked him down, because it turned out he was a perfect match for a teenager with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

When we were informed that Skip was going to have marrow removed from the back of his pelvis, we were proud (of course), and a little frightened for him. From his pelvis? - we said to ourself - isn't that a bit invasive? And the truth is, after marrow extraction, some patients can hardly move for a week. So we were concerned - Skip is an active man, and if he's not currently "on the go", he's busy planning his next go. While jogging in place.

Turns out, Skip was able to walk out of the hospital 4 hours after the procedure, and felt good enough to watch his favorite football team, the South Carolina Gamecocks, get totally annihilated (as usual) at Williams-Brice stadium (metal bench seats!) 3 days later. While his recovery went a bit more smoothly than some, you would be hard-pressed to find a bone marrow donor who thought the trouble wasn't worth it. The knowledge that your discomfort is the result of helping to save someone's life can be a powerful natural painkiller. Almost as powerful as the drugs they send home with you.

Anyway - blood, bone marrow: we're pretty sure you've got some. (Hint.)

For more information on marrow and blood donation in the Twin Cities, visit these websites:

• National Marrow Donor Program
• Memorial Blood Centers
• American Red Cross, North Central Blood Services