Cancer patient fighting for bone marrow donor awareness

With his final days ticking away, UK journalist Adrian Sudbury has decided to use the rest of his life to make a difference for others. Sudbury was diagnosed with leukemia. He underwent a bone marrow transplant which, at first, seemed to be successful. Unfortunately, his cancer has returned and he has opted not to undergo any more intensive treatment. After two rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, Sudbury knew he had had enough treatment, but when the doctors gave him a 20% chance of survival with treatment it only served to solidify his decision.

Instead, Sudbury has chosen to advocate and bring awareness to treatment options in an effort to help others who are living with cancer. Though his cancer ultimately returned, Sudbury is a strong advocate for bone marrow transpants. On his blog, he states "I have one last little mission before I die. I'm determined to try and educate more people about it is like to a bone marrow donor. There are still 7,000 people -- children and adults in the UK alone -- who are waiting to find a match. Without your help they have no hope. At least I was given a chance."

There are two methods of bone marrow donation: bone marrow harvest, and the newer, less invasive method called peripheral blood stem cell donation. You learn about becoming a donor at the National Marrow Donor Program.