Image: bethematch.org
NACE-certified cathodic protection specialist David Aimal Kashifi has been a senior corrosion engineer at Corrosion Protection Services in Danville, California since 2005. He designs and tests systems to mitigate the effects of corrosion on metals. Outside of work, David Aimal Kashifi engages in charitable work and is registered as a bone marrow donor.
Registering to become a bone marrow donor can save a life. Bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation is used to transplant cells to patients with cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma, as well as those with immune deficiency disorders and aplastic anemia. Registering is easy; potential donors have their saliva sampled with a cotton swab. Test results are entered into a database to await a potential match. The chances of a request for donation after registering are only about one in 540.
If you are a good match, you will be notified and asked if you are still able and willing to donate. A physical exam and tests will be ordered to ensure you are in good health. Medical and travel expenses are usually reimbursed. Donating bone marrow is a minor surgical procedure performed under general anesthesia, by needle aspiration of the pelvic bone area.
To donate PBSC, the donor takes a daily injection of filgrastim, a marrow stimulant, for five days. Then, blood is removed through an IV and filtered through a machine that removes stem cells for transplant. The remaining blood is returned to the body through another IV. Regular activity can usually be resumed one to seven days after either donation. Both the donor and recipient can choose to remain anonymous, or may meet if both parties agree.
To become a bone marrow or PBSC donor, visit bethematch.org.
David Kashifi 