Jackson Free Press

Although the idea of donating your body tends to have an edgy ring to it, it's easy to change your mind once you think of the good it can bring into the lives of others. The human body has a plethora of resources that we can give without consequence. From donating your hair to those suffering from Alopecia or chemotherapy treatments, to giving eggs to a couple hoping to start a family, the list goes on in ways to give back to your fellow humans by literally giving of yourself.

Hair
Pantene Beautiful Lengths
http://www.beautifullengths.com

Minimum hair of 8 inches long, freshly washed and dried with no styling products applied. Hair cannot be bleached, permanently colored or chemically treated. Ask your local salon if they are a donation bank or mail to 511 Wisconsin Drive, New Richmond, Wis., 54017-2613.

Locks of Love
http://www.locksoflove.org, 1-888-896-1588

Provides hair pieces to financially disadvantaged children in the U.S. and Canada who are under age 18 and suffering from long-term medical hair loss.

Breast Milk
Mississippi Breastfeeding Clinic
111 Depot Drive, Madison, 601-898-7979

While the clinic currently specializes in While the clinic currently specializes in helping mothers who experience abnormal levels of lactation, it is in the process of developing a breast-milk donation bank to help ill-equipped mothers whose children medically need human breast milk. The clinic projects opening the bank in about two years at which time it will accept milk donations.

Blood
Mississippi Blood Services
1995 Lakeland Drive, 601-981-3232

Mississippi Blood Services offers several options for giving blood, including plasma and platelet donations. Donors must weigh at least 100 pounds and be 17 years old (16-year olds can be donors, but must have parental consent). In addition to general needs, African Americans are especially needed due to a high rate of sickle cell anemia (1 in every 400) among blacks, and a higher chance of matching blood to sickle cell patients from African American donors.

Eggs
Mississippi Fertility Institute at Women's Specialty Center
501 Marshall St., Suite 600, 601-948-6540

Donate eggs to women who couldn't normally have a child. Taken by scheduled appointments only. Fill out a personal profile sheet, and someone will contact you when a woman requests your profile.

Organs
http://www.matchingdonors.com
1-800-385-0422

The networking site helps those in need of kidney, pancreas, liver, lung, intestine and bone marrow transplants match with donors. Also has the world's largest database of available donors and can possibly help donors and patients with transplant-related expenses not covered by insurance. If you're interested in donating your organs, be sure to request the small, red heart symbol on your state license.

Previous Commentsshow

Hey here's one for the JFP that might even make a story idea - why does Mississippi Blood Services have such a stern and draconian arbitration agreement that donors have to sign?

Pilgrim

Jul 2 2009

Pilgrim- I have never seen the agreement, but I would assume it's to protect the health of the people that would recieve the donated blood. You should have seen the stuff I had to sign, to recieve my own stem cells when I had my stem cell transplant.

BubbaT

Jul 2 2009

Nope, not that. Its a "If we screw up, we're only on the hook for your hospital bills" kind of statement, plus limiting legal options to arbitration over a lawsuit.

Pilgrim

Jul 2 2009

The volunteer flowchart in this week's issue is COOL! Be sure to take a look at it. You should have seen the stuff I had to sign, to recieve my own stem cells when I had my stem cell transplant. WHAAAAAAAT?!?!?!

LatashaWillis

Jul 2 2009

L.W.- I had a stem cell transplant as part of my treatment for Mutiple Myeloma, they take your own blood stem cells(which are cells the have not developed into a certain type of cell yet), kill all your blood cells and give you your stem cells in hopes they develope into cancer free cells. Didn't work. But there is a possiblilty that your body will reject even your own stem cells and you will die a horrible, painful death (didn't really explain that real well before hand) if that happens. So they were CYAing with the paper work.

BubbaT

Jul 2 2009

Bubba T, "CYing with paperwork" Boy are you an ungrateful soul. I suppose you would sue the hospital if they declined to treat you because they couldn't guarantee their work like an auto mechanic. Sometimes I wonder why institutions like St Dominic's and MD Anderson jump through all the hoops they have to to offer care to the ungrateful. As a Christian I understand that only God has all of the answers....and in a lot of cases our disappointment in unsuccessful appeals to God for intervention probably means we didn't know the question. I've been offered the same transplant option as I also have developed MM. I signed everything they put in front of me with pleasure, hope and faith in God.

FrankMickens

Jul 2 2009

Casual- ???? What the hell are you talking about? What did I say that would in the remotest be considered that I was ungrateful for what they were doing? I'm very grateful for what The Mutiple Myeloma Institute in Little Rock has done for me. I should have been dead 4 years ago, but I am still here. I was just pointing out the fact that with all medical opinions you have to sign paperwork like that,any release form you have to sign is them CYAing,a fact of life in this sue happy society. If I didn't sign it I would have not had the transplant, so seems I really didn't care if they were or not. Sorry to hear you have developed MM, wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. When did you find out? If you need any help, email me, I can give you info on programs to help with medical and insurance expenses.

BubbaT

Jul 2 2009

Is this beat up on Bubba day? I didn't get the memo. LOL

WMartin

Jul 2 2009

WMartin- me either..LOL

BubbaT

Jul 2 2009

Classy, BubbaT. My opinion of you, while pretty darn good to begin with, has grown in leaps and bounds after that post. :) Lots of CYA paperwork is pretty standard. Example: I had to fill out a form when I had my tubal that I would not sue the doctor if I got pregnant again. Thankfully, it worked: our youngest turned 10 last Sunday! If you're growing your hair out like I am for donation, make note of the different ponytail lengths required by the two companies above. Pantene Beautiful Lengths only requires an 8 inch pony, while Locks of Love requires a 10 inch. Mine is getting close to the 8 inch mark, and this hot Mississippi summer may make me decide to go with Pantene just so I can get rid of it!

Lady Havoc

Jul 2 2009

Thanks Lady. I would grow my hair out but I suffer from that oh so unsightly lack of hair in the back of my head syndrome. I would look really ugggly with long hair. My niece who is a 20+ leukemia survior( a reseacher at St.Judes now) grows her hair out and donates it, in a neverending cycle since she was a teenager.

BubbaT

Jul 2 2009

Amazing job your niece is doing. I don't even know her, and I'm in awe. Unsightly? You've got to be kidding! For some women, that lack of hair is super fantastic. :)

Lady Havoc

Jul 2 2009