Contact: Linda Hilton, Marrow Representative
Phone: 423-328-7785
Date: July 20, 2015
BE INVOLVED. BE SOMEONE’S CURE:
DONOR RECRUITMENT DRIVE TO BE HELD AT
ABINGDON POLICE DEPARTMENT IN ABINGDON, VIRGINIA
Be The Match® and Blood Assurance, Inc. will
hold a marrow donor recruitment drive at the Abingdon Police Department as part
of the “Battle of the Badges” blood drive on July 31st, 2015. Interested
donors can come by 425 West Main Street, Abingdon to sign up for the marrow
registry from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
Each
year, an estimated 12,000 persons in the U.S. are diagnosed with
life-threatening diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma and aplastic anemia, and
their best or only hope of a cure is a transplant from an unrelated donor. In a bone
marrow or blood stem cell transplant, the diseased bone marrow of a patient is
replaced with healthy marrow which contains the important small immature cells
called blood stem cells.
Linda
Hilton, Be The Match® Marrow Representative with Blood Assurance, said that in
order for a transplant to be successful, the genetic Human Leukocyte Antigen
(HLA) or "tissue type" of the patient must match the tissue type of
the donor. "The unique
characteristics or traits of an individual's marrow are inherited, in the same
way as hair and eye colors are inherited.
A patient’s most likely match may be another family member, usually a
sibling," Hilton said.
Most
patients (about 70%) in need of a transplant do not have a matching donor in
their family. For thousands of people
who do not have a genetically matched relative, the need is critical to find an
unrelated donor. The Be The Match
Registry®, which is operated by the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP)
maintains a database of volunteers who have agreed to donate bone marrow or
blood stem cells if ever matched with a patient in need of a transplant.
In
order to join Be The Match Registry as a potential donor, volunteers must be
between the ages of 18 and 44 and in good general health. After completing a registration / consent
form and health questionnaire, the volunteer uses a cotton-tip swab to give a sample of check cells. From the sample of cheek cells, a volunteer's
genetic "tissue type" is obtained. This "type" is entered
into Be The Match
Registry, and is available for patients
around the world as they search for a match.
No actual bone
marrow or blood stem cells are taken from a volunteer during the donor
recruitment drive.
"Commitment
is the key to helping patients. When you
join Be The Match Registry, you are promising to help any patient in need, anywhere in the world,” said Linda Hilton. Just as you would want someone to donate to
save the life of someone in your family, you need to be willing to donate to
save someone else’s family member. Your
choice to give the gift of marrow or blood stem cells may cost a few hours of
your time, but its long-term value is priceless. It gives someone a second chance at
life.
Be
The Match Registry® is operated by the National Marrow Donor
Program® (NMDP), a nonprofit organization with more than 25 years of experience
in the field of unrelated marrow and blood stem cell transplantation. The NMDP has facilitated more than 60,000
transplants since operation began in 1987.
###
Talking
Points
·
Every
3 minutes, someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer.
·
Every
year, more than 12,000 patients in the US are diagnosed with life-threatening
blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma.
·
Be
The Match connects patients who have life-threatening blood cancers and other
diseases with their donor match for life-saving marrow.
·
A
marrow transplant from an unrelated donor (when no family member is a match)
may be their best and only hope of a cure.
·
Blood
Assurance is your local Be The Match donor center.
·
To
join the Be The Match Registry:
2.
Be
between the ages of 18-44.
3.
Complete
a Consent Form and collect cheek swabs to get your HLA (Human Leukocyte
Antigen) tissue typing.
4.
COMMIT
to being available for any patient who may need a transplant now or in the
future.
·
Patients
with diverse ancestry have a harder time finding a donor. Donors with diverse
heritage are especially needed.
·
If
you are possible match for a patient after joining, Blood Assurance staff from
our marrow department will contact you.
Education about future steps will be provided and blood samples may need
to be drawn for additional testing.
·
There
are 2 ways to donate:
1.
PBSC (peripheral blood stem cells) donation is non-surgical
and the most common way to donate today.
You receive a drug that increases the number of blood stem cells in the blood
stream. The blood stem cells are
collected in the same way as a platelet donation procedure, called apheresis.
2.
Marrow donation is an outpatient surgical procedure
performed under general anesthesia. Bone
marrow is removed from the back of the hips from inside the bones, using a
special needle and syringe. Less than 5%
of your marrow is removed. Your marrow regenerates within 6 weeks.
·
Donor
expenses are paid by Be The Match and patient’s insurance.
Help us Save a Life!