Shannon Cripps volunteers in a personal way in order to help save lives.

Cripps has been in the National Marrow Donor Program’s Be The Match Registry since 1991, offering his healthy bone marrow to cancer patients, all of whom are strangers.

"People ask me, ‘You’d really go through this for someone you don’t know?’ Well, yeah," says Cripps, shift supervisor II, Coffeen Energy Center, Ameren Energy Resources. "If I can help them."

Cripps is only told the age, gender and form of cancer of the potential marrow recipients. He has been interviewed, filled out health-related questionnaires and given blood samples - all intended to find matching recipients.

Unlike most volunteers, willingness to donate isn’t the only factor. Twice, he has been matched with patients, only to learn the patients were unprepared to receive the marrow due to their weakened condition.

"That’s where it’s kind of an emotional roller coaster at times, because when you have to donate, I’ve heard you can have lower back pain for one to two weeks afterward," he says. "So you’re kind of geared up for it, psyching yourself up."

None of the hardships or hassles faze him. "It doesn’t cost me anything other than a little bit of time, and it could save someone’s life," he says. "Why wouldn’t I want to do it?"

December 2011