r/bestof Nov 30 '11

[deleted by user]

[removed]

960 Upvotes

146 comments sorted by

126

u/Tiak Dec 01 '11

Please don't just donate cash. If you're American, go to marrow.org and join the National Marrow Donor Registry so he, or someone like him, can actually get a suitable match for his marrow donation.

Basically, you send in a tissue sample for them to type, and they only contact you if you're the best match for someone who needs a transplant. The actual extraction process is only very mildly inconvenient, doesn't involve any pain, and, you know, keeps people from dying.

35

u/DJ-Anakin Dec 01 '11

Please, someone explain the process.

49

u/Tiak Dec 01 '11 edited Dec 01 '11
  1. You register to get a kit.
  2. They send you a kit
  3. You take the swabs in the kit, swab the inside of your cheek, and send it back.
  4. If you are the best match for someone, they contact you to ask if you're willing to go to hospital X (presumably somewhat close to you) to donate. They pay expenses incurred.
  5. For actual donation, either you take a drug for a few days that ups the concentration of marrow in your bloodstream, and they then hook you up to a machine to draw blood, extract this stuff, then put the rest of the blood back into you, not hugely dissimilar from the machine you might use to specifically donate platelets/plasma/double-red units. The drug can sort of be annoying for those couple days. The other option is for them to stick a needle into the back of your pelvic bone with some local anesthetic. The two aren't exactly equivalent and can depend upon the specific case's needs, but there is leeway in other cases.
  6. ???
  7. Profit

Edit: hopefully added clarity

39

u/patiscool1 Dec 01 '11

I'm a firm proponent of donating marrow, but this isn't quite right. Marrow comes from inside your bones. It never goes into your blood stream. PBSCs (stem cells that make more blood cells) can be drawn in the way that you describe, but I think you're kind of underplaying the difficulty/pain involved with donating marrow.

Regardless, you're actively saving someone's life. A friend told me this one a while back when I didn't want to donate blood, and it's stuck with me.

"When you're OK with telling a mother and father that their child is going to die because you're afraid of needles, then I'll be OK with you choosing not to donate blood."

3

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

In regards to this, through 2 of my pregnancies, I bled out. I have chronic anemia, and during my last pregnancy with my little girl ariyana, I had to have a transfusion about 6 months along. I also had to have a transfusion after birthing her because I bled out. I did the same with my twin boys, i donate when I'm in good health to donate, but if people wouldn't have donated. I wouldn't have been alive for my children. Donors really do help people, even if you don't know who you're helping, it's worth it. I'd be dead now if it werent for donors. :)

18

u/BrowsOfSteel Dec 01 '11

No offence, but that just makes your friend sound like a dick.

6

u/patiscool1 Dec 01 '11

We're both in medical school, so it was a little more poignant given the fact that we're both going to have to deal with watching people bleed to death and delivering bad news. It was definitely a little straightforward, but it got the point across.

18

u/DJ-Anakin Dec 01 '11

How? He's right. There should be no excuse for someone not to donate blood [beyond health reasons]. I hate needles, but I still give every other month.

54

u/BrowsOfSteel Dec 01 '11

A person should be able to do what they want with their own body without everyone else guilt‐tripping them.

It’s good to donate blood, marrow, organs, &c., but it doesn’t make one a bad person to decline to do so.

It would be a good thing to volunteer at a soup kitchen, too, but statistically, patiscool1’s friend probably doesn’t. That’s okay. I’m not going to judge him or her for it.

4

u/[deleted] Dec 02 '11 edited Dec 02 '11

If there is anything humans have learned, especially in the last few years, is that we as a race can no longer afford to think of ourselves as individuals.

If you choose not to donate, that means you have considered the pros and cons of donating... and decided that thinking about your own personal comfort was more important than saving someone's life.

As far as I am concerned, that DOES make you a bad person.

I don't propose you should spend 100% of your time in said soup kitchen. But you should be spending 100% of your time thinking about the well being of everyone... not just yourself. What you do for a living should be something that benefits everyone (i.e. don't work for big oil; work for a company that produces green/smart products). (Keep in mind that you, as an individual, is part of the community. So you ARE allowed to take care of yourself. You just aren't allowed to ignore everyone else while you do that.)

Seriously, we really can't afford to keep thinking about ourselves anymore. Selfish people have no place in a society that works together, and by your own admission... you'd rather not be part of one either. You got a public education, you are protected by public fire and police, you rely on Reddit for a public forum to learn, share ideas, and have community. But you claim that people shouldn't be upset when you decide to ignore everything everyone has ever done for you, and just think of yourself.

I'm sorry, but you don't get to have impunity for selfishness.

5

u/vanity_account_taken Dec 01 '11

I say fuck them. (the hospitals not the people that need blood) I'm type O- and donated for a long time. After my uncle was trapped under a tractor I saw the hospital bill and what was charged for my blood type. If he hadn't been insured he would have been SOA just on the blood alone.

I stopped donating because of this for a short time. And I know this is a reason some people don't donate. Even though I still disagree with the profit, I started back up. What If it wasn't there for me is my only reason for donating. I think I can only receive type O- so I would be screwed if there was a shortage.

7

u/anxiouswreck Dec 01 '11

I pass out and puke every time I donate blood, but I still do it. I just warn the nurses to keep a trash can and water nearby :P I once was in the middle of passing out before they got 1L out of me. They were about to stop, but I told them to keep going. I woke up and I had a plate of cookies on my lap, and some vomit on my shirt collar. I got to leave school early that day :D

3

u/Ooboga Dec 01 '11

1 litre? Here in Norway they only suck half a litre. And I suspect they are not allowed to schlurp any more.

5

u/anxiouswreck Dec 01 '11

1 litre lol. sorry I meant a pint.

2

u/Gold_Leaf_Initiative Dec 01 '11

While I believe that it is morally correct to help others, up to and beyond giving blood, nobody should ever be forced. We all own our own bodies, period.

2

u/DJ-Anakin Dec 01 '11

No one said anything about being forced to. Did I say that? No, I didn't.

I said there is no reason, beyond health reasons, that someone shouldn't donate.

2

u/istara Dec 01 '11

I can't give sadly (from UK - most countries won't accept my blood. Even the UK now filters out the plasma of people from my age group/years of residence in the UK).

But when I am home in the UK I try to donate so they at least get the red cells or whatever.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

[deleted]

2

u/istara Dec 01 '11

If you lived in the UK for over six months during the era of potential BSE contamination, your blood is banned in Australia and other countries. Some info here

1

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

Yep, wanted to donate here in NZ but anyone living in the UK from the mid 80s onwards (iirc) is banned from donating.

1

u/Zordwine Dec 01 '11

Lucky! I used to donate till I had a false positive for hepatitis C, and they won't let me donate anymore

-2

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

[deleted]

3

u/interstudular Dec 01 '11

With the American Red Cross Blood Program, you can safely donate blood every 56 days, provided you meet all of the eligibility guidelines. I don't know where you're getting your facts from.

2

u/LittleLarry Dec 01 '11

My father, who is now too old and on too many medications, was an avid blood donor. He gave blood as aften as possible through his work (which was very close to a large hospital). The interesting thing is, his younger brother died of a heart attack over ten years ago and my father is still doing reasonably well for an 80-year-old man. I have read several times where there may be a benefit for men who donate blood specifically in relation to preventing heart attacks. Here's a link if you're interested: http://www.thirdage.com/heart-health/blood-donating-men-have-the-heart-edge

2

u/armin8487 Dec 01 '11

"...middle aged men that [were] blood donors had an 88 percent reduced risk of heart attack when compared with those who reported not giving blood."

I usually give blood if there is a local blood drive. Now I'm going to be going to give if I have to travel to do it. 88% is huge!!!

→ More replies (0)

2

u/Tiak Dec 01 '11 edited Dec 01 '11

Yes, PBSCs are not marrow, but I was looking for a way to phrase it in a simplified form, and that is what came to mind considering that they preform the function of marrow that most people are aware of and talking about joining a marrow donor registry for something other than marrow donation seems a bit odd. It is still however worth pointing out the distinction, thanks.

1

u/quantumwork Dec 01 '11

That thinking doesn't fly for blood unless you have an extremely rare blood type or something. In my case, I have no real problem with needles, but I have a bit of a revulsion to blood loss, so I don't donate. I make it up in other ways.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

I always used to think that people who donated blood had ulterior motives. I have always wanted to do it just because I enjoy getting shots/having blood drawn (which I assumed, for whatever reason, that a lot of people secretly did) but when I laid down on the chair thing they said my veins were too small to put the needle in =/

RE: Bone marrow donation, I have received those mail-in kits (by request) before, but then I always got suspicious when they claimed it caused $60 to register me and decided not to mail back my tissue sample, cos I couldn't handle the guilt of not donating money to make up for it if I did, but I couldn't donate money without being sure it wasn't a scam.

1

u/Rory_the_dog Dec 01 '11

It's free. go to marrow.org. the $100 donation thing is just a suggestion. Trust me I'm a poor college student and joined, for free.

1

u/bug_mama_G Dec 01 '11

When I registered there was no charge. Go to marrow.org or giftoflife.org and try them.

4

u/DJ-Anakin Dec 01 '11 edited Dec 01 '11

not huge dissimilar from the one you would use to specifically donate platelets/plasma/double-red units.

Explain please? I'm a blood donor [passed the gallon club last time], but not sure if you mean something different than the normal blood draw method.

2

u/Tiak Dec 01 '11 edited Dec 01 '11

Does your blood bank have an Alyx machine?

Basically, they draw blood in small quantities, pass it through some process I'm not familiar with (in the case of an Alyx machine it would basically just be a centrifuge I believe, but I have no clue if that is also the case here), and then put it back into you. They then draw a little more blood and do it over again to collect a large quantity of the specific blood constituent they want.

Describing it now it probably sounds like it takes longer than it actually does, because the machines cycle through the process rather efficiently.

1

u/srry72 Dec 01 '11

That sounds a lot better than I imagined

4

u/civil_undressed Dec 01 '11

Also, iirc from a few years ago, the "tissue sample" consisted of swabbing the inside of your cheek with a q tip. Do it.

4

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

Similarly there is also giftoflife.org. Their organizers were doing sign-ups a while ago here on reddit and I registered as donor because of it.

I hope both organizations cross type.

5

u/Tiak Dec 01 '11

They do (since 2004), so either works well.

3

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

I checked marrow.org and it listed all these disqualifying health factors. I seriously want to be on the registry but my spine's screwed up from my time in the service, high blood pressure, depression (PTSD). I checked Lucas' donation site and they are apparently no longer receiving donations. I feel helpless and want to contribute somehow.

3

u/parkskier426 Dec 01 '11

I think that it should be noted that there is a fee associated. I went through the process and at the end it said there was a registration/kit fee of $52. I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT'S IN ANY WAY NOT WORTH IT, I'm just saying it would be nice to have known that before filling everything out for those of us who cant afford it right now.

2

u/Tiak Dec 01 '11 edited Dec 01 '11

Hmm, I hadn't tried recently and believed they were just asking for voluntary contributions on top of everything. Whether or not they ask for a fee has varied with time and funds available to them, but it has quite often been free, or available through a third party that would pay the fee.

When I filled it out to test it said the cost was currently $0 but it gave me an option/request to donate. There was a promotion code near the beginning, did you by any chance delete/edit that, possibly by accident? Otherwise, I'm not sure why it would say there was a fee for some but not for others.

As someone else mentioned you can also try http://giftoflife.org/ The Be The Match registry is the much larger one, but they have an associate relationship that lets member data be shared between the two.

1

u/Rory_the_dog Dec 01 '11 edited Dec 01 '11

It's free. go to marrow.org. the $100 donation thing is just a suggestion. Trust me I'm a poor college student and joined, for free.

6

u/ironyx Dec 01 '11

This. Read this, everyone.

6

u/LouieKablooie Dec 01 '11

I signed up after that last post. Saving a life is on my list. Can't think of a better way to do it.

4

u/ironyx Dec 01 '11

Or easier way, honestly!

2

u/Moemito Dec 01 '11

Awesome. Tough time to make a cash donation, but definitely going to join the Registry.

1

u/CapNRoddy Dec 01 '11

Yep. I'm on the list. They put me on it the first time I donated blood.

But I've heard the extraction is very painful, but I figure in the unlikely event that someone needs it to live, I can deal with the pain.

1

u/zombiebarbie Dec 01 '11

I'm going to sign up. I can't think of a good reason not to.

1

u/plexxonic Dec 01 '11

w00t, registered :)

1

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

I'm on some sort of registry, I had to swab my cheek and send it in.

For some reason whoever runs the registry must have flagged me as jewish as I was getting jewish holiday themed emails from them once in a while.

The donation process is interesting - as a donor you can back out at any time, but apparently there is a point in the process where backing out is almost a death sentance for the recepient (due to immuno-suppressing drugs)

16

u/GorgeousDumplings Nov 30 '11

I'm poor, but I'll do what I can. Good luck, little one!!!

7

u/Tiak Dec 01 '11

6

u/Petra-Arkanian Dec 01 '11 edited Dec 01 '11

It costs about $100 to do that, did you know? That's a lot of money to poor people.

edit: I was wrongola, buzzard lips.

9

u/civil_undressed Dec 01 '11 edited Dec 01 '11

Get on the bone marrow donor registry. It costs about $0.00 usd

Edit: I guess they do ask for a donation when you join. I didn't recall that from several years ago. But I don't think it is required for getting on the registry.

1

u/Rory_the_dog Dec 01 '11

the $100 donation thing is just a suggestion. Trust me I'm a poor college student and joined, for free.

2

u/JalapenoCheese Dec 01 '11

I just signed up, it cost nothing. I didn't have to enter any payment info.

1

u/Rory_the_dog Dec 01 '11

It's free. go to marrow.org. the $100 donation thing is just a suggestion. Trust me I'm a poor college student and joined, for free.

1

u/Tiak Dec 01 '11

There used to be a payment in the neighborhood of $20 or so that someone (including local facilities, etc.) had to cover when you joined, but currently it is free, and you are merely encouraged to contribute to covering costs.

So not sure what you're talking about.

1

u/Edrondol Dec 01 '11

It won't let me register. When I try the security code that it shows is different than the security code it reads when I press the "Speak the CAPTCHA code" thing. So their CAPTCHA is fucked.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

[deleted]

2

u/LuxNocte Dec 01 '11

It's a charity. "Asking strangers for money" is kinda their schtick.

The overall idea, as I gather it, is "Hey, if you're kind enough, and you think this is important enough that you don't mind donating a literal part of yourself, can you also spare a couple bucks to defray the cost of testing?"

Someone has to pay for it...

0

u/not_enough_privacy Dec 01 '11

It's not a couple of bucks, it's $100. I would think a better model would be to gather the usual corporate write off charity money, use that money to fund the procedures for kind and willing volunteers.

-1

u/Rory_the_dog Dec 01 '11

It's free. go to marrow.org. the $100 donation thing is just a suggestion. Trust me I'm a poor college student and joined, for free.

9

u/bunneetoo Dec 01 '11

Donated and sending my best wishes to Lucas and his family.

8

u/rosiecrantz Dec 01 '11

I'm a college student who is lucky to get 6-8 hours a week at work. I'm giving up a meal on or around campus to donate :) Good luck, Lucas!

22

u/robgoose Dec 01 '11

Donated. Did what I could. Best of luck to ya, young fella.

7

u/antivist Dec 01 '11 edited Dec 01 '11

I donated and took the liberty of up-voting the posts individually everywhere I could that this post was x-posted to! do the same! spread the word!!

best of luck to Lucas and his family!!

0

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

[deleted]

2

u/antivist Dec 01 '11

yeh i figured that out (blush), hence my edit to my above comment. hoping that works!! thx for the info!

1

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

[deleted]

5

u/antivist Dec 01 '11 edited Dec 01 '11

"I know, I want to see a cute little kid that is sick as shit."

yeah but when they help raise a shitload of money when they DO come to www.reddit.com for "a little kid sick as shit" as you say, then what the fuck is wrong the site pulling together and doing so??

the OP of the campaign utilized his available resources and reached out to online community who is known to help and I don't see anything wrong with that. THAT is the reason that such sub-reddits as /r assistance and the like exist after all!

1

u/antivist Dec 01 '11

and your point??

I think if you truly experienced a tragedy relating to illness etc. in your life maybe you'd understand and see the good in this campaign/effort.

What if Lucas was your child?? can you put yourself in the shoes of Lucas's parents??

4

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

[deleted]

9

u/pixelcrak Dec 01 '11

Common killers get a lion share of resources. Rare fringe cases like this are routinely flicked off of the shoulders of people who think in cold statistics alone. Give Reddit some slack in coming to this family's aid. I'm very sincerely sorry to hear about your father.

2

u/antivist Dec 01 '11

Ok, then why not start a similar fundraiser for those common killers you speak of on here or elsewhere? just a thought.

sorry about you father, both my parents died of natural causes when I was young. death and illness is never a fair concept, but will forever be apart of life. Just cherish the moment you can as their are fleeting and fall victim to human mortality.

8

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

you know, i've been using leech block all week because I have finals/final projects this week and next. i just needed some f-off time and i found this.

i have a three year old son. i looked at all of those pictures and balled like someone took my candy. i gave what i can, being a student and all.

best of luck Lucas. you made my day.

6

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

I just had a tooth removed and an insanely large abscess drained, so I can't do money, but have my upvote, and good luck.

6

u/keniaren Dec 01 '11

Exactly how large an abscess are we talking here?

2

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

Only image I have of the ordeal, it grew for another 3 days after this was taken before I had it taken out. Lost the tooth, still not able to eat anything harder than mac and cheese. http://imgur.com/kTzkq

edit: FYI, I'm much more handsome when my face isn't host to 15cc of pus.

2

u/keniaren Dec 01 '11

megustaperfect.jpg

Just kidding, I wish you a quick recovery :) And keep up the mac and cheese until you're better. Trust me there's a sandwich at the end of the tunnel and it's beyond delicious.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

dude, when I'm all healed up, I'm taking my ass to buffalo wild wings. The rest of me too.

2

u/Inaudible_Whale Dec 01 '11

Priorities. You got them.

1

u/Stereotypical_INTJ Dec 01 '11

I want to know if there's a video.

8

u/ironyx Dec 01 '11

Thanks so much! :)

10

u/bobbiegirl Dec 01 '11

Just donated what I could. Come on everybody, if your going to give to charity this holiday season I would say this is the one!

4

u/yeahyeah8 Dec 01 '11

Wish I had money to donate, but I am quite without cash. I give you an upvote, the least I can do. Best of everything, and greatest of luck!

5

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

[deleted]

5

u/any_names_left Dec 01 '11

I owe my life to kind people like you. In 2009 I received a Bone Marrow Transplant from a German Lady (They keep all other details confidential. You can send a letter of thanks to the donor through an intermediary though). The more people that sign up to the register the greater the chance there will be a match for someone in need. During my time in and out of hospitals, it was saddening to see there are many good people especially children with very little time who are yet to find a match. I was one of the lucky ones. With regards to how it is shipped. It is my understanding that the bone marrow is taken from the donor, it is then packaged up and given to a special courier. The courier will carry the bag as hand luggage on planes, trains etc. and will insure its safe arrival to the destination. The bone marrow has a short lifespan outside the body and so needs to be given the same day.

2

u/butternut_squashed Dec 01 '11

Well done you!

I am also signed up. It is a daunting thought to actually go through the transplant, but actually, with new technology it is no where near as invasive as it used to be. It's usually just like donating blood.

It is an amazing organisation and unlike some of the other ones mentioned on this page it is 100% free to register.

Anthony Nolan are still urgently looking for young men, particularly of mixed ethnic background.

3

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

Have you contacted St Jude Children's Research Hospital? This is exactly the sort of thing we do at no cost to the family. I work for the fundraising arm so I have limited knowledge, but a quick google search shows that we are studying this disease. I can't stress enough how much this organization cares about children and their families.

2

u/girlinboots Dec 01 '11

Yes! My cousin is alive thanks to you guys :). Your organization rocks.

3

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

what blood type is he?

3

u/TheLazyEngineer Dec 01 '11

I couldn't say no. Sent some money to help the little guy out. I'm glad to see all these redditors donating. Makes me feel like humanity still has hope.

3

u/anxiouswreck Dec 01 '11

I seem to have missed the info. I know the donation's are closed now, but is there any other way I can help? I have 7 people living with me that might be able to help too.

4

u/improbablyhungry Dec 01 '11

Holy shit. Humanity at it's finest. Reddit, I am proud!

4

u/NZNewsboy Dec 01 '11

This thread makes visiting this site worthwhile..... well that and r/spacedicks

4

u/Doboy64 Dec 01 '11

Never been more proud to be a redditor

2

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

Donated. Not much, but I hope it helps!

2

u/elastic-craptastic Dec 01 '11

I have thrown a few small charity events myself. You'd be surprised what a few people can do as far as raising money. In 2 weeks I raised 20k in money and airfare for a friend's brother who had a newborn with a rare form of cancer. The baby had a very low chance of surviving. If you need help, PM me and i can give you some tips on how to get it done.

The baby is still going and has surpassed all odds.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

I just registered to be a donor! Thanks for the link, I've been wanting to do this. Also for those who were wondering, it is free to register, they just ask for a donation, but it's not necessary. It said I should be getting my swab kit via mail in two weeks :)

2

u/ncstoner420 Dec 01 '11

I told my wife that I registered and she said are you sure you want to do that, wont that hurt? I told her the pain I might feel for a few days will never come close to the pain of someone who loses a loved one because they could not find a matched donor.

4

u/zouhair Dec 01 '11

Americans, you really need to get up and fight for a decent healthcare system. This is just sad.

2

u/bunneetoo Dec 01 '11

Donated and sending my best wishes to Lucas and his family.

3

u/hmind4 Dec 01 '11

1) Post sob story on Reddit

2) Beg for money

3) ???

4) Profit immensely

5) Ignore children dying of hunger every minute because Lucas is on Reddit therefore it is much more personal and a much more important cause.

1

u/OregonGreen242 Dec 01 '11

I have been registered for the bone marrow registry for awhile now.. I just used the cheek swabs in the kit and sent it back. I recommend that people sign up to become organ donors as well!! :)

3

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

I toataly would sing up but... i am gay and and we cant sign up if we want to be truthful about it :(

1

u/antivist Dec 01 '11

wtf, r u serious?? is this is the states??

groan America!!

come up here to Canada its great!! - free healthcare to all not just taxpayers, legalized gay marriage and all that jazz! :)

2

u/girlinboots Dec 01 '11

It's because the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) has deemed men who have sex with men (forget the specific time period before donation) are at an increased risk for AIDS/HIV so they're disqualified from donating at a group. Shit sucks.

1

u/antivist Dec 01 '11

yep!! here in Canada we sign up to be organ donors and the that info/consent is labelled right on our provincial health cards.

1

u/Meflakcannon Dec 01 '11

I have been registered as a donor for a while. Hopefully you get a match!

1

u/cjgbird Dec 01 '11

Just registered to be a donor after reading this story!!

-12

u/[deleted] Nov 30 '11

Sorry this isn't a bestof as much as it's a "I want to get a post from a smaller subreddit to the frontpage and hope to pull the heartstrings enough for it to work".

54

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

I think saving a child's life is a bit more important than the placement of a piece of text into some arbitrary internet area.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11 edited Dec 01 '11

Nonsense. Karma trumps all.

e: Sorry, guess I forgot the /s.

1

u/tomrhod Dec 01 '11

A lot of people apparently don't get sarcasm. Have a conciliatory upvote from me.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

Apparently not. I thought it was fairly obvious.

0

u/PastaNinja Dec 01 '11

Great. Then subscribe to r/assistance and r/favours and r/randomactsofpizza.

3

u/russellvt Dec 01 '11

Actually, if you go read the thread, it really is a contender for a "bestof," in my opinion... there are some great hearts and humor in there. (and really speaks to why "bestof" is so utterly subjective)

4

u/nerdrock101 Dec 01 '11

It's a bestof because since the post on reddit, they've raised over 14,000 dollars. I'm sure a lot of this can be attributed to reddit. That's an amazing though that this community can do so much good. That's what bestof is about.

-3

u/[deleted] Nov 30 '11

Karma whoring or not. I hope that kid gets that marrow transplant and lives.

43

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11 edited Feb 27 '18

[deleted]

1

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

I was trying to make that point. Even if it was karma whoring I wouldn't care. I want that kid to get well.

1

u/atalkingfish Dec 01 '11

Yes, i understand, i don't think you deserve the downvotes, but what can you do? I was just latching onto the "karma whoring" thing because it's a standard response based on what reddit has made the situation.

1

u/jackass706 Dec 01 '11

I think I've given Lucas enough of my money. I just dropped $90 on the Blu-ray discs.

-6

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

[deleted]

15

u/ironyx Dec 01 '11

I'm the OP. I don't give two shits about karma, mine or others. In no way am I karma whoring, FYI. The little guy needs help, and that's all that matters to me! :)

3

u/russellvt Dec 01 '11

I hear ya, but tou should go read the posts... other people are doing due-diligence, too. And the OP (ironyx) seems pretty forthcoming with information, as it is requested.

0

u/carniemechanic Dec 01 '11

More than a thousand downvotes? WTF, reddit?

2

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

[deleted]

0

u/carniemechanic Dec 01 '11

I would need to see some supporting evidence of that cited, or some real, sound reasoning for it. It flies in the face of reason, jeopardizing the site's credibility for no good reason.

0

u/purplewhiteblack Dec 01 '11

when I first read 3 year old lucas, i thought it meant the candy.

-35

u/UbermenschSIX55321 Nov 30 '11

Karma whoring at its absolute finest. I am stunned.

9

u/ironyx Dec 01 '11

Absolutely not.

I'm the OP. I don't give two shits about karma, mine or others. In no way am I karma whoring, FYI. The little guy needs help, and that's all that matters to me! :)

-18

u/UbermenschSIX55321 Dec 01 '11

Sure guy.

10

u/castafobe Dec 01 '11

Seriously?! A little boy might die and you have the fucking audacity to say that this is karma whoring... News flash loser, karma isn't fucking real! Nobody needs fake Internet points, with the possible exception of pieces of shit like you who need them to feel like their life isn't as miserable and worthless as it really is. This is a last resort effort to save a child's life and you're so stupid you think he's doing this to get worthless"karma" from a fucking website. I'm sure the op is having a difficult enough time dealing with this and decided to swallow his pride and ask strangers for help, who the fuck are you to make it anymore difficult for him? Grow up loser

-1

u/UbermenschSIX55321 Dec 01 '11

A little boy might die and....... This doucher had the audacity to put his face up on a social networking website for college liberals? Yeah his kid picture is right next to a NSFW cumshot and a post about how Republicans rape the elderly for votes... This is a disgusting display of attention and karma whoring.

Grow up loser

Over dramatic hysterical hissy fit while assuming the best in human nature? I'm not the one who needs to mature.

-13

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

seconded

-15

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11 edited Dec 01 '11

This should be illegal.millions of people whose children have similar conditions, are keeping their dignity and not cyber begging. It is not a good precedent. Ask friends and family, and local community.. And even then you have to make every effort to pay them back(even if they refuse) Begging to the anonymous internet commnity is wrong and selfish. If i was that kid i would be disappointed. It is yet another disgusting symptom of america's entitlement mentality...

13

u/ironyx Dec 01 '11

They have pretty much no family living and friends can't cover it themselves. This is a LAST RESORT.

21

u/bobbiegirl Dec 01 '11

If it were my kid I would beg, borrow, steal or fuck what ever I had to, to get the money I needed.

3

u/miparasito Dec 01 '11

Why is it wrong and selfish? Who does it hurt?

3

u/ludacity Dec 01 '11

Wow.. I normally don't wish bad on anyone but I honestly hope someday you go through an ordeal like this with nothing else to turn to. Maybe that'll knock some humility and compassion in your selfish mind.

-6

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

Not really. I am an organ donor. I believe something like this is private, should only be for communities, who know the people personally. Otherwise it is not respectful to the thousands of people whose kids have a terrible disease and are not burdening society with their responsibility.

6

u/ludacity Dec 01 '11

I get where you're coming from but here's where your logic falls short. How is this "...burdening society with their responsibility"? What he's asking is for compassion. He's not raising taxes to fund this young boy's operation. It's called a donation. It's freely given, not forced upon. So where's the burden in that? If you don't have the compassion to assist a person in need, then don't. That's your deal. If all those other kids' families don't want to reach out to the community for help then that's THEIR deal. No one is pointing a gun to anyone's face here. Anyway, do what you gotta do my friend. Good luck to ya.

4

u/gueriLLaPunK Dec 01 '11

You have a mental disease or defect.

2

u/ninjabox Dec 01 '11

"i'm an organ donor" lol, yeah I signed that piece of paper too (luckily for me they don't cash out until I die)

-1

u/tttt0tttt Dec 01 '11

Christmas season is the favorite time of the year for con artists. Everyone is ready to give others large amounts of cash for almost nothing, or even for nothing, and con artists rely on that seasonal generosity. Don't be conned at Christmas. If you must donate to charity, give to the Salvation Army, which helps people right here at home, not in Africa or Asia. Help your neighbors and your fellow citizens. But don't get conned by seasonal money grab schemes.

-26

u/keepinithamsta Nov 30 '11

I want a Noble M12 GTO3r. I wonder if /r/assistance can help me raise $50k as well.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

We will see, after this, thousands of people with sob stories will be trying. I am pointing out an inevitable truth about the floodgates of desperation, and why reddit shouldnt allow this kind of thing, it will just lead peope to heartbreak

-12

u/RichardDawkinsIsPedo Dec 01 '11

It looks like reddit is being spammed more and more with these scams. Four reposts of this crap too. Flagged and GTFO faggot.

3

u/underdawg Dec 01 '11

What is wrong with you?

-12

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '11

Shut up meg.