You're right on with identifying the number one problem I knew I would face when Cheekswab was even just a thought in my mind: how do I make people care? It's still something I think about constantly, both when I'm conducting a drive or staring at my computer.

I hear what you're saying when it comes to the photo of the patient/baby, but the number one thing I didn't like about some of the existing sites out there is that they read like a brochure. The reason why people donated for Amit Gupta is because even if they didn't know him face-to-face, they felt some sort of personal connection to him via his products or technical notoriety or positive reputation or whatever. Maybe even the bonds of being a technical guy in a technical industry. I distinctly wanted to avoid having to go the route of finding a stock image of a bald chemotherapy patient or teary mother because I feel like it's manufacturing sentimentality. We're surrounded by manufactured sentimentality concerning cancer. Turn on any episode of House and you'll see what I mean.

I feel like too much of that detracts from the cause, because cancer, sickness and bone marrow transplants are real. They happen to real people, with real families who have no idea what to do or where to turn. I do share my personal story with cancer on the "Founders Story" page, but admittedly it's (very) long and not everyone will take the time to read it. But some do, and early feedback from many is that it helps them empathize in a way they've never done before. And there's no way for me to condense that story into three quick-hitting bullets on the homepage.

There very well may be nothing I or anyone else can write on a website to convince someone to donate marrow. There are way too many factors that I cannot foresee or control that will impact that decision. But if that person's life is ever touched by circumstances where a bone marrow donation is necessary, my hope for the website is that at least they'll already be aware that the cause exists and know where to find more information.

But your feedback about the homepage in general raises points that I will definitely consider.

I have some more ideas in the pipeline that I hope will help further personalize the cause. I've shot a video with a friend who recently got called in for a marrow donation. I've been in touch with an old classmate on Facebook who took part in a PBSC donation and met her donor. I'm convinced that it's these types of things that will create conviction and empathy in others, and I'm working on it.