MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. -- Pfc. Lloyd H. Throop of Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 4 spent months helping preserve the lives of his fellow Marines and the citizens of Iraq.
But ensuring the well-being of others didn’t end for the embarkation clerk when he returned from his deployment.
Immediately following his return from supporting operations in Iraq, Throop was contacted by the C.W. Bill Young Marrow Donor Center in Washington, informing him he was a potential match for a 60-year-old woman suffering from myelodysplastic syndrome.
“I felt compelled to put myself in the patient’s family’s position,” Throop said. “I thought about how I would feel if it was my mother or someone in my family who needed this transplant. It was also my first real chance to help someone when they needed it.”
Throop had been added to the National Marrow Donor Program registry while attending Marine Combat Training. According to the program’s Web site at http://www.bethematch.org, its mission is to help patients afford transplants and find matching donors, while working to advance medical research.
After Throop was contacted by the marrow donor center, he submitted a blood sample at Cherry Point’s Naval Health Clinic. Three weeks later, the results came back confirming him as a match.
Throop traveled to the donor center in Washington to begin the process of extracting his bone marrow.
“They gave me injections for six-days straight at the donor center,” said Throop. “The process was pretty painful. The injections made my pelvis, spine and the bones in my legs swell from the increased stem cell count.”
According to staff members, Throop made quite an impression at the C.W. Bill Young Marrow Donor Center. Chona Flannery, the senior donor services coordinator at the center, recalled how Throop came through for the patient in need.
“Lloyd is a very kind and generous young man,” Flannery said. “He was committed to the program and to the patient. Throop was a real trooper.”
Flannery said it is always good to see donors like Throop willing to give someone a second chance at life. For the average patient, there is only a 30 percent chance a suitable match can be found within their family, making the National Marrow Donor Program registry very important.
“This is a very good program, and everyone should at least join the registry,” said Flannery. “There are a lot of sick people out there, and one of them may need your help one day.”
Throop’s goodwill towards others has impressed his command as well.
“Pfc. Throop is a great person with a big heart,” said Maj. Thomas Dono, VMAQ-4’s S-4 officer in charge. “He genuinely cares about everybody and did what Marines do best, save lives.”
Throop reflected back on teachings from his childhood to explain his reason for donating bone marrow.
“I am a believer in what my parents always taught me,” Throop said. “You should treat people how you want to be treated. You never know when you are going to need a miracle.”