www.LiveCitizen.com
4/16/2009
Bone marrow donors register in hopes of saving a life
This past Easter weekend, the Tech Museum of San Jose hosted a Bone Marrow Drive to boost a registry in dire need of new donors. The message of the drive was clear. As the novelty bracelets read: Be the One to Save a Life.
While many Americans donate blood and even register as organ donors when they renew their driver’s licenses at the DMV, few people register to be bone marrow donors. Unfortunately, the registry isn’t so much about helping masses of people, but rather a select few.
Registering is simple and straightforward. After completing a questionnaire regarding your personal information, background and health, a volunteer takes four mouth swabs to register your DNA on the national registry. With a sign of your name, you are now in a position to save a life, at least until you turn 61 and they remove you from the registry.
TeamMatthew sponsored the drive at the Tech Museum, offering free registry thanks to a generous grant which covered the standard $52 registration fee. According to HelpingTami.org, another sponsor of the event, 26 people registered, the majority of which were ethnic minorities. Registering such diverse donors is imperative as patients with mixed ethnicities can have a difficult time finding a donor who is their genetic match.
When a patient is in need of a bone marrow transplant, they need to find someone with an exact match to that of their own. That means they need to search the registry in hopes of finding the ying to their bone marrow yang.
Speaking of ying and yang, people of Asian descent are especially significant as the registry is rather stark of their bone marrow. This is evident in the story of Tami, one of the inspirations of this weekend’s bone marrow drive.
According to her website, Tami has been battling Myelodysplastic Syndrome, also known as MDS. MDS causes the bone marrow to produce blood cells and platelets that are deformed and underdeveloped. Treating the disease requires a Stem Cell Transplant, which is quite similar to a bone marrow transplant. Tami has yet to find a match but perhaps one of the many generous donors who registered this weekend will yield one.
The drive was held on Easter Sunday from 11am to 3pm. While some eager donors may be discouraged by the pricey registration fee, there are several free bone marrow drives being held in California, much like the TeamMatthew event. The next drive is April 18, at the Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco, Calif. For a broader list of free donor drives, visit HelpingTami.org or the National Bone Marrow Program online.
Whether you’re a minority or not, consider registering to be a bone marrow donor. While donating blood can make a difference, being a bone marrow donor can single-handedly save lives. Being that single match to one of the thousands of patients in need can be the difference between conquering a disease or succumbing to one. Be the save one to register and be the one to save a life.
For more information, visit HelpingTami.org or Marrow.org.
The Writer:
Kendra Fujino
OCCUPATION: Content Developer
LOCATION: San Jose, USA
MEMBER SINCE: 2009-04-02
BIO:
I'm a native of San Jose, Calif., where I spend my days writing for a living. I graduated from Cal State Long Beach in 2008 and have since become a serious fan of the "real world" (the concept, not the show). I am a nut about writing, politics, history, books, music, traveling and the channels which accompany such loves like CNN, History Channel, Discovery Channel, VH1 and the Travel Channel. Feel free to send feedback, comments and a friendly hello. Or if know there's an awesome show on about any of the subjects listed above, give me a holla!
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