Bone-marrow, a soft, jelly-like tissue found in the hollow centers of certain bones, is home of what are called “stem cells” which are the building blocks of blood itself.

When the bone-marrow becomes damaged, medical experts point out that blood cannot be produced and the patient must receive a stem cell transplant to survive.

Amit Chang, 20, grimaced with pain when the nurse took a blood sample from the needle in her right arm, but stressed that she voluntary joined the program.

“When I told my parents about my plan to register as a potential bone-marrow donor they immediately opposed my decision,” she went on. “I know that they will eventually agree with the importance of being a donor.”

There are currently more than 310,000 potential donors registered in Tzu Chi’s database, indicated a spokesperson, who explained that Tzu Chi’s volunteers interviewed each candidate beforehand to have a better understanding of the donor’s medical condition and motives.

Tzu Chi Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Dharma Master Cheng Yen in the impoverished east coast of Taiwan, has been contributing to better social and community services, medical care, education and humanism in Taiwan for nearly 40 years.

Michael Chang, a dedicated Tzu Chi volunteer and chairman of Crystal Applied Technology Inc., successfully convinced 29 of his company’s employees to join in yesterday’s campaign.They travelled with their family from Hsinchu that morning to join in the campaign.

“They all volunteered!” Chang remarked.