Kadena Airman donates bone marrow

Published June 26, 2007
By Senior Airman Nestor Cruz
18th Wing Public Affairs

KADENA AIR BASE, Japan (AFPN) -- A Kadena Air Base Airman recently gave someone a second chance at life.

Lt. Col. Joseph Coogan, the 18th Wing Safety chief, recently flew to Washington, D.C., to donate his bone marrow to a leukemia patient.

His journey to help others began two years ago at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

"I gave blood at a blood drive while I was attending Air Command and Staff College," Colonel Coogan said. "One of the questions they asked was if I was willing to have a sample of my blood analyzed so I can be placed in the Department of Defense bone marrow registry."

Colonel Coogan said he agreed, not expecting anything to come out of it.

Early in 2007, "I got an e-mail (from the registry) saying I came up as a possible match for a leukemia patient," Colonel Coogan said. "I was part of a group of people that may or may not match well enough to be a donor. In the e-mail, they asked if I was interested in further testing to see if I was a true match."

The safety chief underwent a series of tests, answered in-depth questions about his medical history and had more blood drawn for testing. Colonel Coogan was a true match for the patient.

More tests and questions followed for the officer. The registry staff asked him repeatedly whether he was still willing to be a donor.

"They gave me many opportunities to back out," Colonel Coogan said. "At the same time, they also took every opportunity to remind me of the need for donors like me. I never felt pressured either way. The registry staff was very upfront with everything."

After speaking with Lt. Col. Barry Cornish, the 67th Fighter Squadron commander, about his selection as a possible bone marrow donor, he found out another pilot had donated bone marrow about a year ago.

"I talked with the pilot who previously donated bone marrow and that helped me feel more at ease about donating," the safety chief said. "Hearing about his experiences, I understood more about what the process was and that helped put my fears at ease."

Education also helped Colonel Coogan in his decision to donate. The colonel received a packet of information that answered many questions about bone marrow, the donation process and the risks involved.

According to the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Web site, "a bone marrow transplant may offer the best chance for a long-term remission for some leukemia patients. A transplant is a strong treatment with risks of serious side effects, so it is not used for all patients. A transplant is used when chemotherapy alone is unlikely to provide a long-term remission."

Leukemia symptoms vary depending on type. If left untreated, patients can suffer from fever, frequent infections, anemia, feeling tired or weak, shortness of breath, looking pale, easily bleeding or bruising, tiny red spots under the skin called petechiae, pain in the bones or joints, and severe weight loss.

"Bone marrow transplant is the very last option for a patient," said David Means, the DOD Marrow Donor Program workup supervisor. "In general, a bone marrow transplant is only considered after all courses of therapy have been exhausted. This typically means that the patient has a zero percent chance of survival without a transplant."

Colonel Coogan decided to donate and traveled to Washington, D.C., on Memorial Day. He was taken to Georgetown University Hospital for further testing and another blood sample. Again, he was asked if he was sure about donating.

"There was a certain point where they asked if I was really willing to donate because for the recipient, they only let him know within two weeks or so of the procedure that there's a donor out there," Colonel Coogan said. "They don't want the recipient to go through an emotional roller coaster by getting his hopes up."

When the colonel made his final decision to donate, the hospital staff prepared the patient by starting chemotherapy a week prior to the operation.

Operation day arrived and Colonel Coogan was told the procedure would last about an hour. He was under local anesthetic while doctors made an incision in his lower back to draw out the bone marrow from his pelvic bone. Colonel Coogan woke up in recovery about two hours after the operation.

"I was told the standard procedure was to have a courier standing by, ready to take my bone marrow to the recipient," Colonel Coogan said. "The entire donation was totally anonymous. The recipient could have been in the next room or in a different country and I didn't know."

The safety chief is back on Kadena AB and recovering quickly.

"I'm still a little stiff, but I'm feeling much better now and getting better every day," he said. "In fact, I just came from the flight doc's office and was taken off of (duty not including flying) status."

According to the NMDP site, "marrow donors can expect to feel some soreness in their lower back for a few days or longer. Donors also have reported feeling tired and having some difficulty walking. Most donors are back to their usual routine in a few days, but some may take two to three weeks before they feel completely recovered."

The site also notes that a donor's marrow is completely replaced within four to six weeks.

Colonel Coogan said he hopes others will help those in need.

"It's a great opportunity to help somebody," he said. "I would hope if I was in that position (needing a donation), somebody would step up and say, 'Sure I'll endure a week of pain so you get another shot at life.'"

"People should take the opportunity to give blood and if given the opportunity to enter the bone marrow registry, they should do it," Colonel Coogan said. "It's worth it. There are people out there who need people to match with them."

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Kadena Airman donates bone marrow