After getting “all political and stuff” last week, now I’m going to get all preachy. Sorry, I promise something far more inane soon.

Yesterday, Courtney and I joined the National Marrow Registry. In a nutshell, this registry is a database that can help people in need of a bone marrow transplant find a match. Not surprisingly, I was inspired to do this by Nick’s memory, and in all honesty, I should have done it a long time ago.

First off, signing up is insanely quick and easy. We had to fill out some paperwork, and then you swab your cheek four times. That’s it! They don’t even take any blood. We were in and out in 15 minutes.

If you do end up being a match for someone who needs marrow, then the donation is a bit more involved than just donating blood, but it is a lot simpler and safer than many people think. (For more, click here.)

Nick ended up getting a marrow transplant from his sister, and in some cases a transplant will come from a close relative, and that will be that.  But there are people out there who doesn’t have a sibling or family member who can give them the marrow they need, and even though that person might be a stranger to you, they have family and friends who love them and would be eternally grateful to anyone who can help them.  Walking out of the drive yesterday, I was really angry with myself for not signing up years ago, when I first found out that Nick needed a transplant.  I guess I didn’t because I knew his sister would be a match for him.  But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t have signed up.  Maybe I could have helped someone else who was going through what Nick went through.  While I’m not happy that it took me so long, I am glad I signed up, and as my penance for not doing it earlier, I am urging everyone reading this to learn more about the process at www.marrow.org, and, if you meet the eligibility requirements, to sign up.  It sounds cliché, but it literally could save someone’s life.