Almost reaching my resolution.. carry me across the finish line?

My goals for 2012 was to try to make life better for those with blood cancer.  I specifically wanted to do this by:

• raising money for research
• running a marathon in honor of my uncle, who we lost to cancer last year
• donating platelets 10 times (blood donations are a literal life line for those battling leukemia and other blood cancers)

I accomplished the 1st two by raising just a smidge over $1200 when I ran the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon with Team in Training in April.  Today I fell short of my third goal, and it was frustrating even though outside of my control.

In August there was a problem with my 9th donation (sprung a leak on the return cycle).  When a platelets donation has to be stopped before they can return your blood (minus the platelets), then you default to a whole blood donation delay of 52 days (instead of the 7 for platelets).  So I was scheduled for my 9th last week and 10th a week later.  Last week I had to cancel due to that head cold, but there was still time to fit in 2 donations this year. 

But today they had trouble catching my vein, and once they did a small delay in the process caused my blood to start clotting in the needle, resulting in too low of draw pressure and aborting the donation.  And 52 days until I can give again.

Maybe this sounds like petty whining, but donating platelets is very important to me.  I know what it means to those who need it because I have friends and family that are only alive because a stranger donated and there was blood on hand when their lives were on the line.

Cancer is so infuriating because we feel so powerless against it.  We talk about "fighting" cancer, but all we can do is pray, raise money for research, and hope that there are better options before someone else you love is diagnosed. 

But there are a few actual concrete ways we can help, if not in curing cancer, then at least in helping a cancer patient have a better shot at survival.  The big commitment is to register on the National Bone Marrow Program as someone who is willing to donate their bone marrow if and when a genetically compatible person needs it.  The other much simpler, and much less painful is to just become a blood donor. 

I can't finish this goal, but maybe one of you will come alongside and cross that finish line for me.  Will you commit to giving your blood or platelets before the end of 2012?