Caring Connection - Your Chance to Give Back

If you went through your transplant thinking “how can I ever repay people for the kindness they’ve shown” then here’s your opportunity. BMT InfoNet’s Caring Connections program links patients who are about to go through transplant with survivors who can provide emotional support.

“The goal of the program is not to provide medical information, but comfort and encouragement,” says Sue Stewart, executive director of BMT InfoNet. “There is nothing like hearing directly from someone who has ‘walked the walk’ and understands the fears and questions you have.”

Each year, nearly 500 people ask for peer support through the program. “We link not only patients about to go through transplant, but caregivers, donors and other family members whose lives are being affected by the patient’s transplant.” Stewart explains.

Volunteers must be good listeners, says Stewart. “This is not a forum to share war stories. Our volunteers know how to listen to people, validate their concerns, and provide encouragement.”

Patients, caregivers and family members are matched with others who had a similar transplant experience. “In most cases we match people by disease, age and type of transplant,” explains Stewart. “We can often match people by other criteria that are important to some patients such as gender, religious background, whether or not there were children in the household at time of transplant, etc.”

BMT InfoNet currently has more than 800 volunteers in the Caring Connections program, but there is a need for more.

“People usually want to speak with someone who has been through a transplant within the past few years, since treatments change so rapidly,” says Stewart. “We have an ongoing need for people who have been transplanted with ‘mini’ or reduced intensity transplants, people who were over 60 at the time of transplant, and people transplanted for rare diseases.”

If you would like to volunteer with the Caring Connections Program complete the registration form online at www.bmtinfonet.org/survivor.html or phone 888-597-7674.

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