Bone Marrow

TRANSPLANT TRIBE

When a patient finds out they are to have a bone marrow transplant, they are often craving information - everything from parking tips at the hospital, what to pack, what to expect for their appetite and what foods are good during treatment and how about losing their hair?. Medical leaflets and booklets can only provide a certain amount of information, but nothing compares to hearing it first hand from someone who has been through it all before.

Everyone's story is very different.

Some find a donor immediately, others search for months.

Some spend weeks in hospital, some months.

Some have only weeks to prepare, and others have years.

Some fly through with little side effects and others get hit with every side effect possible.

We are all on our own journey!

The aim of the Transplant Tribe is to create a social network of those who have had a bone marrow transplant (BMT) and those who have one planned for their future to allow stories to be shared and questions to be asked. This includes partners, family and friends.

We are not here to provide medical advice, but just a social network to allow for informal discussion and networking.

COVID-19 has meant a re-think of how to create a social network, but like businesses around the world, there is no reason we cannot start 'meeting' via an online platform and then move to face to face meetings once the social isolation restrictions have been lifted. The plan is to set up monthly or bi-monthly meetings - subject to demand.

There are Facebook groups and, of course, the Leukaemia Foundation support, but having a BMT is quite unique, and there is not one group (that I've found) that specifically supports those going through this procedure.

The focus of Transplant Tribe to begin, was for those in the Hunter Region of NSW, Australia to have face to face social gatherings. HOWEVER: The Zoom meetings are open to anyone, and if they are successful, maybe alternate meetings on line can be done. The first face to face meetings will be planned in the Hunter Region, but we are happy to support other areas get their own meetings set up.

If you would like to attend the first meeting, please click on 'Meetings' heading above (in the black section) to then register your details.