Hank Steals John's Cells

[@morgaknightgames]

The clarification that the donation process no longer requires a painful drilling procedure is a veeeery important one! Science is amazing.

[@elizabethr.9359]

YES I genuinely thought it was still a really painful process but now we can all spread the word it’s not anymore!

[@inverce]

I also didn't know about this! I gave bone marrow twice as a child and they put me under anesthesia and everything. Amazing news!

[@buzzbros2002]

Agreed! As someone with a low pain tolerance and having heard how painful it can be, I've always been very very hesitant. This news flipped me to sign up. EDIT: Officially signed up and now just waiting for the box. EDIT 2: got my card after the test, officially on the donor registry!

[@singerchick3891]

I would love a deeper dive into this from the Scishow - it would be so fascinating to understand how the current process works! I think a TON of people would be surprised to hear that it’s no longer the super painful bone drilling 😂❤

[@elkwolf2888]

Probably saved a lot of people with new a diagnosis a lot of fear.

[@saadatkamal8110]

Typical younger-brother behaviour - stealing your older brother's vital possessions

[@tomrogue13]

Tbf, John stole hanks money to buy cigarettes when he was younger

[@Diamondelight92]

And selling them on ebay!

[@sergioventura2595]

@@tomrogue13 it was not cigarettes it was baseball cards which later on Hank sold on eBay

[@avakining]

@@tomrogue13John repaid Hank at Hank’s wedding though!

[@Anna-B]

@@sergioventura2595it could have been both, John had an interesting adolescence

[@jennis8561]

"He has been here the whole time" the vlogbrothers-Dropout assimilation is the best thing that ever happened. Loving it from all sides.

[@Kurogamo_]

"It's a Game Changer" 3:50

[@Kram1032]

@@Kurogamo_ eh, that one felt far less intentional

[@docnevyn5814]

The Fix is in.

[@jacobmerrill693]

Need John on Game Changers stat

[@wolfsbane4516]

​@@jacobmerrill693 John might panic on Game Changer. I think he'd be great doing D20, though

[@desieslonewolf]

My (then) 9-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a Wilms Tumor the Friday before you announced your diagnosis. On Thursday it was confirmed she has relapsed and they discussed the potential of her needing bone marrow transplants. Throughout her cancer journey you have been there answering every question I've forgotten to ask. Thank you for being a force for good in the ongoing battle between humanity and cancer.

[@josiezimmerman8321]

Sending you hugs, stranger. ❤

[@jessicahawkins1464]

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[@mariannetfinches]

I hope she does well and that she's able to keep being a kid as much as possible 🩵

[@InsoIence]

Hang in there, both of you.

[@kaylinsmith6921]

Sending all the happy thoughts I can muster to you and your family. 💜

[@wei.cecilia]

I love hanks excited description of bone marrow contrasting with johns deadpan motionless staring

[@Pickelhaube808]

😐 🤓

[@beepityboopity]

I feel like im looking at the human representations of autism and adhd, respectively

[@martijn8491]

I have both (which is actually quite common)! Am I now the ultimate Hank-John hybrid (is that a Jank of a Hahn?🤔)?

[@coagmano]

@@martijn8491 sorry to say that being a hybrid is 100% Jank

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

This is why John simply cannot be The Science One.

[@sampalca]

I'm so here for the genuine excitement. "It's a PIRATE SHIP!"

[@cypriennezed5640]

GASP

[@osmia]

!

[@ACAB.forcutie]

I mean.. it is unexpected!

[@vvivacious101]

Makes you glad they had to refilm it😂

[@thefilthycasual6358]

It's probably the Star of India. Most of the time it stays docked and it's part of the maritime museum in San Diego, but every now and then they do take it out sailing. Fun fact: Master and Commander was filmed using that ship (assuming I'm right about what ship that is).

[@thecaseyharvey]

As a leukemia patient waiting for a donor, thank you for sharing this message!

[@leela9003]

I hope that it goes ok for you, sending love

[@catherinesvideos156]

Sending love and care as you wait.

[@TheRavenfish9]

I hope that all the new nerdfighter donors can help you to get one soon!

[@Gergenhimer]

Gonna sign up in the hopes that others do to and you get a match!

[@nea.bug13]

I hope you get a donor!

[@allierose8011]

I donated stem cells through DKMS in the summer of 2019. Due to the specific needs of the recipient/their care team I ended up donating through the "hip drilling" process. I just want to say that even that was nothing to be scared of! It was a quick outpatient procedure, they put me under anesthesia for it so I didn't feel any pain and I went home just a couple hours later. I consider donating to be one of the greatest privileges of my life. The donation was anonymous so I will never know who my stem cells went to but I think about them often with the hope that they are continuing to live a full, happy life somewhere out there in the world.

[@AmiriTempest]

As a person who needed a transplant for my leukemia, I thank you

[@dusty-pan]

+

[@lokipokey]

My friend's son's life was saved by a wonderful donor. A year after the procedure they were allowed to exchange contact info, and now, 10 years on, the families are the best of friends. And the young man, now approaching 30, is still alive and healthy Bless you for doing this❤

[@rsargent29]

Thank you for your donation! Two of my children have been recipients and I'm eternally grateful!!

[@catherinesvideos156]

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[@zachfranklin6821]

Thank goodness Hank sold John's baseball cards on ebay instead of his bone marrow.

[@elaineshiffer6929]

Well that was to make up for John stealing Hank's trophy money

[@Boots_293]

Living the deep vlogbrothers lore, I’d totally forgotten about both of these 😂

[@watcher821]

I registered with the German DKMS a bit over a decade ago and had a letter in the mail about being a potential match for a patient a year after that. Some blood tests, then self-injecting the stem cell growth factor, half a week of flu symptoms (mainly cramping and pain in my lower back), quite a few more blood tests and then 4h of washing the needed cells out of my blood to get them to the patient. Very small price to pay to potentially save a life!

[@catherinesvideos156]

Thank you for being a donor from a transplant survivor

[@Nino-xp5df]

I'm registered in Germany as well. Thanks for being awesome!

[@mousestripedgrass2123]

wow had no idea that this new way of donation is available at least for 9 years 😮 this info should be shouted from the rooftop, I'm sure a lot more people would register

[@mariannetfinches]

Congratulations! That was a very excellent thing to do. I was rejected as a donor sadly, so I just get to be excited about others doing it

[@IrisGlowingBlue]

Thank you for the knowledge and your courage!

[@rebeccacuthbertson1271]

Thank you for addressing the change in technology for how the transplant/donation works because I knew how important becoming a donor was but actually terrified of the hip drilling surgery. So thank you for saying that's not how it works anymore!

[@runningcow]

+

[@Corny416]

Same! I was really hesitant because of that, but now I'm happy to sign up!

[@TheRavenfish9]

I agree! What important information that more people need to learn about. So glad we have vlogbrothers educating us on this.

[@baileyjones464]

Yes! I had no idea that the process had changed

[@myblueheather8240]

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[@sarahnencheff2205]

I'm from San Diego! That pirate ship is called The Star of India, and it is actually the world's oldest active sailing ship. It was built in the 1860s. In elementary school, I got to go on an overnight field trip and slept on the ship. A very cool piece of San Diego lore!

[@rodtel314]

My friend helped build that ship, it’s actually a replica of the San Salvador, which is from before the Age of Piracy. They sail that (or the Californian) most weekends. The San Diego Maritime Museum also still has the Star of India and it’s a great place to visit.

[@Booksds]

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[@sarahmihuc3993]

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[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

whoaaaa

[@duckofdeathv1595]

@@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 Apparently in English whoaaaa is whoaaaaa

[@DKMSUnitedStates]

Wow!! Thank you so so much you guys. Please register if you can!

[@TikikittySF]

Are you disqualified if you have RA?

[@morganbutrovich7840]

@@TikikittySF they have autoimmune diseases on the list of disqualifications on their website. Big bummer for me (PsA) 😢

[@RenayEmond]

What about in Canada?🇨🇦 Do we have a sister registry? THANK YOU for All you Do!

[@squiggliez]

+

[@bhwilkoff]

Done!

[@tomrogue13]

I did this in college when a 10yo girl had lukiemia and a frat did a big drive to help find her a match. I actually ended up matching with someone else like a year later and saved his life.

[@sarahprunierlaw9147]

I"m so glad you could do this!

[@doricetimko5403]

Bless you

[@OneTraveller]

Wow, you were definitely not forgetting to be awesome 💜

[@EAlexandra3]

I literally have a swab kit that's been sitting around due to my procrastination. It's getting done and going in the mail today!

[@123bbryant]

You too!? Sending mine out today as well! Thanks for the kick in the ass❤

[@AmiriTempest]

Thank you both for doing it today! As a transplant recipient, I am so grateful!

[@maddielewis1225]

As someone with lymphoma who just found out the chemo didn’t do the job all the way and will likely need a bone marrow transplant, a sincere thank you to anyone who does this ❤️

[@sherylw4599]

Wishing you all the best

[@catherinesvideos156]

20+ year BMT survivor here. Rooting for you! Hope all goes smoothly and you're in remission and on your way to a cure soon. ❤

[@divergentdreamer]

13-year BMT survivor with recurrent Hodgkin's here! I got GVHD pretty bad, but I'm here kicking ass!

[@anniebell6846]

Much love Maddie from Scotland

[@LimitedWard]

I joined a bone marrow registry years ago, and last year I got contacted out of the blue that I was a match. I got to donate stem cells to save a stranger's life, which was a cool experience and mostly pain free! I would absolutely do it again if asked.

[@catherinesvideos156]

Thank you for being a donor from a transplant survivor

[@Nino-xp5df]

Thank you for being awesome!

[@mariannetfinches]

Woohoo! I'm loving seeing comments like this. You're awesome!

[@LimitedWard]

@@mariannetfinches thanks! I tend not to tell people about it because I feel weirdly "braggy" talking about good deeds. But I felt it was important to share because the thought of going to a hospital and donating stem cells can seem scary.

[@mariannetfinches]

@@LimitedWard absolutely! Personally I think it normalises it. Like "I donated bone marrow, nbd". Of course it's a huge deal for recipients. But I think if a person knows someone who's donated, surely they're more likely to consider it too

[@MinnehahaSybyl]

My dad had Hodgkins and then Leukemia and died of graft versus host. Good matches are important, people.

[@starlinguk]

My cousin survived graft vs host but died from a "mysterious" type of pneumonia in February 2020 while still in the hospital.

[@piyh3962]

As a donor, a part of my body going and killing the person I'm trying to help is my worst nightmare

[@alex39977]

so graft won then? (imsosorry)

[@Lintukoko]

@@piyh3962 Technology and getting a wider pool of donors is making that less common, thankfully, but at the end of the day, I don’t know anyone who would rather die from no donor than die from a donor being less compatible than ideal (many docs think a big reason is undetected autoimmune conditions that aren’t yet causing big symptoms but are lurking as seronegative RA and similar conditions can show as nothing abnormal when doing blood tests, hence doing so so many of them beyond what normal diagnostic tests involve). Don’t think of it as your body part killing them but their body just not being willing to take help from the stranger that offered themselves up. After all, these transplants are for people who are almost definitely going to die without the transplant, so going from 0% to 50-70% (depending on the robustness and diversity of donors available in a given place) is indeed giving them an infinitely higher chance of living. This is all being said as much to myself as you since I am also someone who, despite knowing it from a medical textbook POV, is terrified of transplants, even transfusions, and had to fuss about seeing my bloodwork before accepting one when my platelets bottomed out to under 10% of the minimum normal range after an accident caused a LOT of blood loss many years ago. My terror was “what is the NEXT HIV that we just don’t know is lurking there?” The reality, though, was that I would be dead without it, so some very low chance of an unknown virus striking seemed like a better gamble to take than certain death! It is the same for other transplants. I can feel John’s voice echoing in my brain: “This is the sound my anxiety makes.” 🫂

[@divergentdreamer]

@@piyh3962 As someone who had pretty bad GVHD (and survived! 13 years now), I am still incredibly thankful to my donor. I celebrated him at my wedding! GVHD can be nasty (but not always), but I never had bad feelings toward my donor.

[@emilypowers7911]

I love this!!!!!!! My little 3 month old needed a bone marrow transplant. She had a donor from Germany and we are in the USA. I love so much the people who are on the registry!!

[@k8eekatt]

I'm so glad she got a second chance!❤

[@catherinesvideos156]

Hope she's doing well!! I had my transplant at 10 and it was tough, I'm sure 3mo is even harder! I know lots of folks with donors from the German registry.

[@mariannetfinches]

Congratulations! I hope all is going well

[@HerzoginLina]

3 months and already cancer?! Life is cruel... I hope she's doing well!

[@KiraFriede]

DKMS is a german NGO and there are a lot of registered people in Germany actually.

[@SSGranor]

This hits me pretty hard right now. I'm a long-time (if quiet) nerdfighter (I'm literally wearing my p4a 2022 t-shirt right now); and, I'm also currently undergoing treatment for Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. If all goes well, I will eventually be needing exactly the kind of bone marrow transplant discussed in this video. I'm told that, based on my demographics, between family members and the current extent of the registry, I probably have about an 85% chance of finding a good match. But, I worry both about that other 15% and about people whose chances are lower. So, thank you both for pushing to make the registry broader. And, for anyone interested in other ways to help, folks with blood cancers can often need quite a few transfusions; so, donating blood (if you're able) is always appreciated.

[@catherinesvideos156]

Sending love and care in your treatment odyssey. Hope there's a wonderful donor for you when the time comes.

[@lokiiago_x0x]

/sending love and strength/ you got this! 💜

[@t3hsis324]

Another nerdfighter sending love and strength. ❤❤❤

[@mariannetfinches]

Hope all goes well for you. Yes, let's hope that 85% number gets bigger.

[@tjs8433]

Hope everything works out, it sounds like the donor pool may grow quite a bit today, myself among them hopefully if the cheek swab results are good

[@AyresAY]

I actually donated my stemcells to a stranger at the beginning of this year. Really weird not to know what effect it had on the person, because its all anonymous. But glad to have possibly made a difference! (the organisation is called Matchis in the Netherlands, please sign up there dutchies!)

[@Lisa-pn4kt]

Did they also do it the way they vividly described in the video? The process kind of scares me

[@AyresAY]

@@Lisa-pn4kt There is an option for surgery and an option for bloodtransfer. I did the blood transfer. You inject yourself a few days beforehand with stuff that makes your red bloodcell count go up. It can give some people some side effects, others don't notice anything. The blood transfusion takes a few hours. Also; you can change your mind at every moment. So signing up doesn't make you do anything. It just makes you able to consider it in the unlikely chance you are a match for somebody. Hope this information helps!

[@fiddlestick7086]

With dkms at least (I don’t know about your organisation tho) it is possible to meet up after one year if the receiving person agrees, I think, which is pretty neat :)

[@mariannetfinches]

Congratulations! That does sound like a complicated psychological situation to be in. Though I assume that - given how much work goes into marrow collection, and the effects on the donor- you probably have to have a favourable prognosis to receive a transplant? At least that's my understanding with other organs

[@AyresAY]

@@mariannetfinches actually, the transplant doctors told me it’s often a last resort, people who otherwise definitely wouldn’t make it so this is their last chance. They said with the transplant the survival chance is around 60%. But it’s likely to be 0% without transplant.

[@rosianna]

Who needs animation when there are John's live action demonstrations and sound effects?

[@babs9495]

I actually got the call to be a bone marrow donor after joining the registry 10 years prior. They asked my if I would consent to either procedure (stem cell or bone marrow harvest) and I said whichever would yield the most successful results for the recipient. The doctors requested bone marrow so I had the surgery. My recipient didn't have cancer but a rare type of anemia. It really was not that painful. I was back to my normal routine after one day. Tylenol worked well. I think a vast majority of cases call for the stem cell. It was 100 percent worth it!

[@mariannetfinches]

Congratulations on being truly awesome!

[@jessicawilson1371]

Total hero!!

[@zimke2]

I matched and donated to someone through the registry in 2017 and I want to second what John and Hank said - the process is very easy! You have nothing to be afraid of, and the registry does a fantastic job of supporting you as a donor to answer any questions and schedule everything, they even sent me a care package with a warm fuzzy blanket.

[@mariannetfinches]

🎉🎉🎉 Congratulations & thank you. I can't donate. So it's wonderful to hear from people who can. Makes me feel slightly less guilty somehow

[@vvivacious101]

So, after watching this video I read the comments as you tend to do and it became clear that people around the world have taken part in this initiative which is what made me click on the link. As someone who doesn't live in North America I often don't because things usually don't work out for me but lo and behold this organisation had a chapter in my own country. So for anyone who didn't click the link assuming it wouldn't work for them you might be wrong. This organisation seems to be dedicated to building a global registry. And, I just registered!

[@mousestripedgrass2123]

+

[@franny5156]

I didn't know either. I'm german and am registered already but it's a german organisation. But I know my brother donated for someone french so I figured it works in the EU

[@mayaenglish5424]

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[@flowerpetal20]

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[@mx.noname4710]

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[@iammyrealbrain]

Speaking as someone who went through chemotherapy for Acute Myeloid Leukemia (I'll be able to say "had" in December of next year) it's super important to get people on the registry. I was lucky twofold, I didn't need a transplant because my body reacted to chemo well enough that I could recover on my own, and it turns out one of my older sisters was a bonemarrow match with me. I cannot tell you the mental relief it is to know there's a solid plan B for your treatment when you're staring down the barrel of Cancer. I've been recommending people get on the registry for years, it's awesome to see you two do the same! Keep up the wonderful work!

[@_maxgray]

Thank you to everyone who registers! Especially anyone from a racial/ethnic minority - a diverse donor pool is super important so that more people can have a good match, and right now the pool of potential donors does not match our overall demographics.

[@LucasCarter2]

It’s worth noting that white people are a global minority and that every area in the world has different minorities so I don’t like this phrasing as it might discourage people from donating based on the faulty assumption that they’re not a minority when their donations may go towards someone who lives in an area where you would be a minority. Basically: if you can, then donate, don’t feel like your contribution is lesser because you perceive yourself to be in the majority

[@_maxgray]

@@LucasCarter2 It's also worth noting the despite being a global minority, research shows that white people are still by far the most likely racial/ethnic group to have a match somewhere in one of the worldwide registries due to the imbalanced demographics of registered potential donors *globally*. Also: particularly encouraging groups that are underrepresented to participate isn't saying an overrepresented group's contributions are unimportant. Raising up one group doesn't need to be seen as diminishing another.

[@tjs8433]

I love how nice comment threads on this channel are (actually, not trying to convey sarcasm)

[@film9491]

I know (at least when I first learned about this in 2016, and I assume it's still the case) that black is the race least likely to find a match.

[@divergentdreamer]

Yes! I wish they said this in the video! I'm white and had my BMT in the US. When I was looking for a donor, I ended up getting a few matches that were 8/10 to 10/10 match. One of my BMT friends is Black, and the best she could get was a 5/10 match, which really increases the risk of graft versus host disease, which can be very deadly (but it can also be minor, like skin rashes).

[@ashtuatara]

"Hes been here the whole time" "It's a game changer" ... I'm suspicious...

[@scuttlefield]

I was just looking for others who caught that. I've been binging Game Changer as of late.

[@sharks2571]

The brothers green on game changer would be a dream come true

[@phoebegilliland8897]

Hank's already been on Dimension 20. We've established a precedent.

[@RachelBayati]

Thanks in advance to all who decide to sign up as a potential bone marrow donor! My late husband had leukemia and went through 2 bone marrow transplants that allowed him and I to have 3 more years together. I am forever thankful to both his donors that allowed us to have that extra time. For many people it is a life-saving procedure that allows them to go into remission and beyond!

[@mayaenglish5424]

3:54 Hank, you should do a Scishow about the changes to bone marrow extraction technology!

[@ancientswordrage]

Yeah!

[@HerzoginLina]

+

[@edwardlane1255]

This is a good idea :)

[@bobbillybob5811]

A close friend of mine got swabbed and ended up anonymously donating bone marrow through the old surgical method due to specific needs of the recipient, who was a 3 year old. He is my hero.

[@DanSulyma]

Mine too.

[@JayPea7204]

I was on the bone marrow registry but when I turned 60, they said I had "aged out" of being a viable donor. So, younger people, get on the registry to replace us older people!

[@kiyahforever]

First John's baseball cards, now his cells. Typical younger brother behavior.

[@steggopotamus]

Deep cut

[@calebcorrea7556]

My Mom life's has been saved by Bone Marrow Transplants Twice. Thank you to all donors for the beautiful lives you have helped continue.

[@rijgddurfncg]

I had no idea the bone marrow donation process had become so much less intrusive for the donor. Thank you so much for mentioning this!

[@ostremnomer]

I've actually done the donor procedure they described, and it really was a surprisingly manageable and personally rewarding experience. If you are healthy and able, I encourage you to get on these registries (DKMS and NMDP are the two large ones I'm aware of) because it can save or extend someone's quality of life. The nurses involved are spectacular and so supportive. Please help if you can! The programs ensure that donors receive support through the process and that all expenses are reimbursed.

[@tass466]

Today I learned that BeTheMatch has been renamed to National Bone Marrow Registry (and I'm on that registry!) Thanks!

[@ostremnomer]

Thanks for being on the registry! They are the ones that handled my donation process and were really supportive and awesome. They changed the name a year or two back to clear up the branding.

[@DarkkestNite]

important note that DKMS and NMDP are getting you onto one masterlist - so if you're registered through one, don't register again! DKMS' FAQs explicitly advise not to register with them if you're already on NMDP

[@ostremnomer]

@@DarkkestNite great point! Thanks for adding that!

[@catherinesvideos156]

Thank you for being a donor from a transplant survivor

[@nameless7838]

I lost it from seemingly out of nowhere "There is a Pirate Ship." And then you turned the camera to show an actual Pirate Ship!

[@Izzy-Maurer]

UK folks, get on the Anthony Nolan registry! I was signed up by students volunteering at my freshers fair last year, and it was so easy to get the packages and send it back.

[@ToppyTree]

I did the same! DKMS also operates in the UK and you can get registered at NHS blood donation centres. (You only need to do one of these not all 3)

[@BnFGProductions]

I’ve been on for 10 years and it’s thefirst address I update when I move

[@franny5156]

​@@ToppyTree yeah I'm pretty sure the different registries talk to each other

[@hugogieles4816]

I did this like 6 years ago and they never needed me but they do send me a happy birthday message every year which is nice

[@kacyj2955]

My sister had a bone marrow transplant that saved her life when I was a kid. I am forever grateful to her donor, who lives across the Atlantic, for registering to donate because no one in my family was a close enough match. Thank you Hank and John for spreading awareness and encouraging us to save lives!

[@nandini1740]

Not to diminish how great it is of Hank to talk about his experience with this so openly for the greater good... But John, as a fellow older sibling, sitting there and hearing your little brother recount experiences with the disease and describe something that sounds so... grueling... Congratulations on keeping those peepers dry, good sir.

[@skingsbery]

My dad had a stem cell transpant in 2008 for non-Hodgkins lymphoma from a donor on the registry. He lived almost 16 more years with his new immune system when the doctors gave him a year pre-transplant. Am so grateful for those years with him.

[@thedjlush]

I'm in UK but just found our equivalent and signed up for my first blood donation for the NHS. Thanks for the nudge x

[@mariannetfinches]

Congratulations & thank you. I'm in the UK & no longer an eligible donor. It's great to hear more folks signing up. The nurses at the blood drives are usually super chill & friendly. I used to genuinely enjoy it.

[@g2000411]

DKMS is also in UK!

[@thedjlush]

@@g2000411 oh is it! silly me, I just assumed was American. thanks :)

[@JustMeJH]

Hank, I’ve had two autologous stem cell transplants to treat my multiple myeloma (blood cancer of the plasma cells). They are no walk in the park, but I’ve found them to be highly effective in resetting my body to a less cancerous state of being. They’re part of the reason I’m still alive 14+ years after being diagnosed. If I ever need a third stem cell transplant, I would need to have a donor transplant, and I can’t say enough good things about organizations that register donors and the wonderful people who sign up to possibly be donors. Another great organization is Be The Match. My cancer is stable now, so I don’t see a third transplant on the horizon, but there are many, many people who need this help. It only takes a few minutes to possibly save a life!

[@SplatPrime]

I was not expecting a full on pirate ship to be outside

[@catherinesvideos156]

As a long-time nerdfighter AND bone marrow transplant survivor, THANK YOU!! Thanks to John and anyone and everyone who signs up to be a donor!

[@gussnarp]

This really brings back the feel of old school vlogbrothers reunion videos, plus just John and Hank doing a thing that is an unalloyed good and encouraging Nerdfighteria to join them.

[@osmia]

+

[@hucklebucklin]

It really does the only difference is Hank with curly hair!!!

[@AndreaCrisp]

++

[@owenbusler]

I did my bone marrow donation through DKMS in 2019. It was an awesome experience and if you are a match I cant recommend it enough!

[@catherinesvideos156]

Thank you for being a donor from a transplant survivor

[@mariannetfinches]

Congratulations & thank you 💚

[@JasonGuySmiley]

Wow, I had no clue they had made bone marrow extraction so easy, gonna get on that list this week

[@mousestripedgrass2123]

+

[@shannons2695]

Thank you for bringing light to this! My cousin passed away from a form of leukemia in 2014. Her twin and dad were bone marrow donors for her. It helped her go into remission for a while and gave our family/her more time together. It's not always an end cure but can be so helpful to folks going through cancer.

[@dasanjos]

@2:40 Release the unfocused cut!!

[@sbarbs]

Hi Hank and John, this is really beautiful timing on your parts. I have a very close friend with a very rare form of leukemia and he's waiting to see if his closest match donor will be able to donate. I think he should learn this week. I've been registered in NMDP for about ten years now, and it's so important for people to join registries like NMDP and DKMS. Thank you for highlighting this!

[@defiantparsnip]

I've been cancer-free since 2018 thanks to an allogeneic bone marrow transplant from an anonymous donor from the bone marrow registry. I am forever indebted to someone I will never meet for making the generous donation of their sweet, sweet cells! Weird fun fact: now I can't donate blood and also I need super-special DNA testing because my blood isn't mine!

[@Codex_of_Wisdom]

I'd never heard about this, and just signed up. When I was 6 months old, when my liver stopped making my blood for my bones to take over, my bones... didn't. Needless to say, I almost died. So I hope someday I can do for someone else what someone did for me back then.

[@BanthaWorship]

This is actually a really fantastic video. My mom has had leukemia and lymphoma both and when we were children we all had to have our bone marrow tested to see if we could save her life by donating some of ours to her and let me tell you what children of a certain age do not handle well and it's being placed in a cold room with a bunch of people in masks holding a bone drill! That there's a better, easier way is SO great and even though my mom has had blood cancer twice now, of two different varieties, I still did not know there was an easier way. This is incredible and I had no freaking idea. They should put this on billboards and buses, not even playing right now.

[@BanthaWorship]

P.S. She is in remission from both cancers atm! Leukemia free for over 20 years now and lymphoma undetectable since 2023 (it keeps making cameos but nothing in a while).

[@ash60248]

Just emailed them about criteria. Thank you for the update on how they harvest bone marrow that does sound much better than what they used to do! Thank you for being advocates of important causes and an inspiration.

[@emberberber]

As an acute myeloid leukemia survivor (four years and 7 months in remission!) I am IMMENSELY grateful to anyone who signs up for the bone marrow registry. I was on the registry before my diagnosis and it is SO easy to sign up. Like Hank, I was able to treat my blood cancer with chemo only but will need a matching donor if it returns because autologous transplant probably won't be an option. Please sign up if you can!

[@thackernerd]

I donated bone marrow stem cells a few years ago through a similar registry to DKMS. The most painful part of the procedure was the small pinch of the needle going into my arm (which, fun fact, is caused by the alcohol that sterilized the needle). You are more or less just hooked up to an IV for a few hours. It was so painless and easy, and I would do it 100x over again in order to save somebody's life. I highly encourage everybody to sign up.

[@aspatzle827]

I registered years ago and was recently found to be somebody's match. I got a heath check and soon I'm going to donate bone marrow/stem cells. The wildest thing I've learned in this process is that donor and receiver don't have to have the same blood type but the receiver will have the donors' blood type afterwards.

[@Nino-xp5df]

Wow, that's wild! I didn't know that.

[@mariannetfinches]

Congratulations & I hope it all goes well

[@catherinesvideos156]

Huge thank you for being a donor from a bone marrow transplant survivor ❤

[@divergentdreamer]

As a BMT survivor, I also didn't know this! However, I get to be a chimera! That is, my blood is 100% my donor's DNA, not mine, so I can't technically do any DNA testing (unless I want to know my donor's DNA).

[@t3hsis324]

Registered!! I called to double check I met criteria, being type 2 diabetic, and as long as you aren't insulin dependent and/or having serious complications, it should be ok. I also told the person who answer the vlogbrothers on KZbin sent me, as they asked all eligible nerdfighters to consider registering :) let's save lives! ❤

[@djhellard7335]

osteosarcoma survivor here! almost 7 years in remission. Sending so much support to you guys for all the work you do!

[@corajohnston22]

My god dad has Hodgkin’s lymphoma and he is terminal. I thank you guys for always raising awareness on life changing interventions like this one.

[@TG-nd9rj]

Hank, I really just want to say thank you for being so upfront about your diagnosis, treatment, and (currently) recovery. The way you approach talking about the subject has really helped me learn a lot about cancers over the last year and it's been a tremendous support. Cancer runs heavily on both sides of my family, and this past spring I found out that I carry a genetic mutation that severely increases my risk of developing cancer(s) in my life. On the upside, most members of my family have not developed cancer(s) until they've been at least 60, and I'm currently 25, so I've got time to make changes. My father was diagnosed with a metastisized squamous cell carcinoma a few weeks ago, and while it is scary, the doctor is optimistic. It appears to have started in/around his tonsils and spread to his lymph nodes, but has not spread anywhere else as of yet. I'm driving back home in a couple days to help take care of my parents house while he's having surgery. Then he has 6 weeks of recovery, followed by 6 weeks of radiation before they decide if chemo is necessary. My grandmother is also receiving treatment right now to increase her white blood cell count in order to (hopefully) prevent the development of leukemia. Cancer is a scary topic that so many still consider taboo or don't want to breach with their family because it brings up all sorts of feelings of fear and anxiety and uncomfortable-ness. I'm sure you experienced those feelings so much more intensely while going through your diagnosis. But because of people like you, people who are willing to share their stories and show that it doesn't have to be as intimidating as it feels... Really brings me comfort. So thank you, and I wish you the best of luck on your continued remission and recovery.

[@toswingonastar]

I joined the bone marrow registry a few years ago and it was, in fact, very quick and easy!

[@Maistra13]

Been on the registry for 14 years, so glad you're using your reach to spread the word!

[@0justBETHANY]

John stopping everything to say "There is a pirate ship" with as much intensity as I've ever seen. I didn't expect to get a view of a real pirate ship in that moment but I suppose I should have fully expected that.

[@mariannetfinches]

They're called Tall Ships! Some of my coffee gets transported on one! It's to reduce carbon emissions but you can't tell me they didn't also do it because of how extremely cool it is

I was once selected by DKMS as a cell donor and spent two days in Cologne, GER. It was an adventure. The procedure is actually quite fun, from a geeky perspective, that is. The worst that can happen is dizziness and maybe a headache, that’s it. There’s nothing to lose and it might save another person’s life. Just do it. Register.

[@nicoleconnell2602]

I’ve been on the registry for a few years now and can confirm they make it super easy! It’s also particularly important to think about it if you are a person of color, as there are many under represented ethnicities in the registry.

[@divergentdreamer]

Yes! I wish they would have stated this in the video. I am white BMT survivor, and I had a few 8/10 to 10/10 matches, whereas my friend, who is Black, only had a 5/10 match, which resulted in some bad graft versus host disease.

[@cuitonwap]

the way hank didnt believe john at first when john said there's a pirate ship 😂😂😂

[@GlizzieLizzie-l1e]

0:03 HE'S BEEN HERE THE WHOLE TIME s-sam? is that you?

[@dopdahl16]

I registered as a dkms donor at a Bowling for Soup show!!! Best punk rock decision I ever made 🤘🏼

[@amytaboada4541]

I just signed up and had my partner sign up as well!!! Thank you for always spreading awareness and giving us opportunities to make a difference!

[@juliaheinzelmann7756]

I did the DMKS swap a few months ago, can confirm its quick and painless. I thought it was a germany-only thing. Glad to know its an international thing, more chances that a match can be found.

[@alexandrahopf7241]

Signed up years ago ❤ So important to register. Also reassuring to know that donating no longer requires as much pain.

[@annikastkmp]

Sooo cool of you guys to bring attention to DKMS! I was lucky enough to be a donor back in June and they are just the most wonderful organization.

[@alliberry]

i've been a "member" of the National Marrow Donor Program (formerly BeTheMatch) for over a decade. I did the same cheek swab thing. my info is out there if i'm ever a match. I also have O- CMV- blood and donate "double power red" 2-3 times per year. (in fact, i just did it yesterday!) i can't register with DKMS since I have a BMI over 40. (and they also don't want duplicate registrations w the NMDP.) but thanks for spreading the word about such a simple, easy, quick, no-effort way to help one another on earth.

[@faizanquraishi4126]

The notion that bones are individual organs is just a little less creepy than the notion that your entire skeleton collectively is just one single organ

[@dfleck9210]

I was wondering what the "Deutsche Knochen-Mark-Spenderdatei" shirt was about! I wasn't aware that they were operating internationally!

[@jlljlj6991]

Same. I registered in Germany 20+ years ago, it's great to see the organization still exists and has been expanding.

[@RebeccaShores]

Much easier cause it's a check swab! My husband and I both registered a few years ago. I am needle phobic, but I'd be brave to help someone.

[@Nino-xp5df]

Oh me too, sooo needle phobic! The thought makes me queamish. But I've been registered for years and if I ever match with someone I will donate.

[@Alexvandy35]

As a donor, It was so easy to donate. I donated in 2017 and it was easy to sign up and easy to donate. It's like they said, you get either an IV like set up or a central line (my case) and you have flu like symptoms for about a week leading up to it because of the shots but you feel great because you literally help save a life. Super easy barely an inconvenience. Please sign up to donate if you can.

[@v0icedance]

And to think that if the first video wasn’t out of focus, we would’ve missed the pirate ship

[@Wulk]

0:16 there is bad weather where I live so KZbin lag in this perfect moment of Jhon going "Up my-" and I just stood there for a solid second wondering how and why only to be even more confused when the video restarted and he said "nose" 😂

[@elumbella]

Hey! I donated bone marrow several years ago now. I had myself put on the list, and what do you know, only a couple of years later I was a match. In my case, they actually did have to drill my hip bones (apparently the cells you get that way are slightly different from those you get by the less invasive process, and in some very rare cases, that is actually advantageous). I was put under in the morning, they extracted everything they needed, and I left the hospital that very day (albeit still quite dazed from the pain medication). I had some pretty hefty pain for a few days. It was manageable with ibuprofen though. And it was so worth it, because I know now, that I have saved a life doing that. How many regular people can say that? My point is: You should definitely register. It is absolutely amazing to be able to do such a magical thing, and any pain is negligible in comparison.

[@garinsutton6808]

My 11 year old self (30 years ago) is jealous that he didn't get to do this much easier kind of bone marrow extraction when he needed a test. That pelvic extraction was PAINFUL. Medical advancements are amazing.

[@haleypratt7934]

I’ve been on the bone marrow registry since I watched a P4A video about it many years ago!

[@Bowling_Dude]

I went through a BMT a couple years ago just 9 months after my 20th birthday. hardest time in my life but i'm aslo grateful for it because it turned me from a pessimistic person into an optimist.

[@zerocell2657]

The pirate ship plot twist was unexpected

[@HannahLeeC]

Ah, I signed up years ago with Be the Match (now called NMDP) and sent in my swab... looks like DKMS doesn't want me to duplicate an entry in the larger database, so I am all set! Good for you all for promoting this - it's such an important program.

[@keremmadran]

5:31 Someone needs to put whatever genre that SpongeBob pirate music is behind "Holy Mary Mother of God, or something like that, it's a pirate ship". Can you also hear it?

[@KoriC4077]

Im in Canada. So i don't know the differences, but I am on the bone marrow doner list and and am listed as an organ donor. This is a great way to help people 😊

[@Martcapt]

John looks like a person who just filmed the whole video out of focus. Which I didn't think it would have a specific look, but it's totally the look John has.

[@alleycaaat]

I went to sign up and found out that they share the same donor pool as Be The Match, which I signed up for at university (and was a part of the club on campus!). Very happy that I've already been an option for DKMS! It's been ten years, but when I signed up for Be The Match it was already largely donation via blood, if they did have to drill into your hip it was generally because they needed more marrow for a child. I sure hope to get the call some day to donate!

[@ERYN__]

It's weird to see John be the silly brother.

[@ButMadNNW626]

Hi from northern San Diego County! Hope you both enjoy your time down there. :) I forget when I first learned of the bone marrow registry, but I signed up with NMDP (formerly Be the Match) nearly twenty years ago and have never been contacted to donate. A few years later, I went to a blood drive and a lady there was talking to people about the registry. When I told her I was already registered, she was thrilled - not only because I was already signed up, but because I was the FIRST PERSON she'd talked to that day who even knew the registry existed. So thanks for spreading the word about this.

[@MegaCombobreaker]

I love the message, going to get a kit. That said, I was trying to figure out why Hank's shirt said dickmas.

[@Nino-xp5df]

It's the abbreviation of the German original organisation: Deutsche KnochenMark Spenderdatei meaning German bone marrow donor registry.

[@mariannetfinches]

😂😂😂 Someone needs to work that into a design next Pizzamas

[@jjjm7322]

Wow bone marrow donation has come up so many times for me in the past week! I just signed up with NMDP

[@henrymadison9079]

Already on the registry!

[@tjs8433]

Just signed up! I’m 18 so I’ll hang out in the eligible pool for awhile. Thanks for spreading the message, I wasn’t aware this is something people needed. Glad to be apart of this community

[@schwambibambi6492]

Just registered! Thanks for calling attention to this initiative :)

[@bellster24]

Joined the registry nine years ago and got the call that I’m a potential match last week! Fingers crossed in the best match, waiting now to hear back after a confirmation blood draw :)