Thousands of patients with leukemia, lymphoma, severe sickle cell anemia, and other life-threatening diseases need an unrelated bone marrow donor transplant. In fact, 70 percent of patients in need of a transplant depend on the "Be the Match" registry to find a donor and get a second chance at life. There are over 10 million donors listed in the registry but there are still patients unable to find a match. The "Be the Match" registry is in desperate need of a more diverse registry and to add more potential donors. There are simply not enough racially or ethnically diverse members in the registry to meet the needs of patients.
Who can become a volunteer donor? Anyone in good health between the ages of 18 and 60 can become a potential donor. The registry is especially looking for volunteer donors between the ages of 18 and 44 because research shows cells from younger donors lead to more successful transplants. The potential donor must also be willing to donate to any patient in need.
If you would like to join the bone marrow registry, please stop by the Krober Room on Monday, November 19, 2012, between 11:00 AM-6:00 PM. You will learn about the donation process, sign a consent form, and get your cheek swabbed. The whole process takes a total of 15-minutes! So if you'd like to help give someone a second chance at life, please stop by and consider joining the registry.
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