“Be the Match” Marrow Donor Registration Drive

The Madison College Association for Biotechnology is proud to host a “Be the Match” Marrow Donor Registration Drive on Wednesday, November 3.

Club President, Danielle MacDonald has coordinated efforts with the Blood Center of Wisconsin to bring this event to the Truax Campus. The event is scheduled to take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in room 142, and the cost for registry is free! Please help us in helping our community.

We hope that our efforts will assist in finding a match for three sponsored children here in Wisconsin.

Antonio is an adorable 6-year-old from Guatemala who was adopted by a family here in Madison. During the fall of 2009, he was diagnosed with the blood disorder aplastic anemia. Antonio’s best treatment may be a bone marrow transplant. The best match for him and other patients of color is an unrelated donor from the same ethnic group.  That’s why his family is encouraging donors from all ethnicities to join the Be The Match Registry. You could help to save a life.

Kayla is a bubbly grade-schooler from Milwaukee who needs a bone marrow transplant. She has sickle cell anemia and needs healthy bone marrow from a donor. Thousands of adults and children need bone marrow transplants each year. Their life depends on finding unrelated individuals willing to donate marrow.

Teri Li has AML, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. She needs a bone marrow transplant from an unrelated donor as they have found no matches in her family. The best donor for her would be someone from the same ethnic group. We are asking people of Asian American decent to please consider joining the Be The Match Registry. You could help Teri or other patients in dire need of a marrow transplant.

Things to remember:
Testing for the bone marrow registry is easy. It is essentially completing a health history form and conducting a cheek swap process. You must be at least 18 years old and not older than 61 years old.

You may not be eligible for the registry if you:
- Have a history of diabetes requiring the use of insulin •Have asthma that requires you use medication including an inhaler in the past 5 years.  Asthma is acceptable only if exercise induced.
- Have cancer or a history of cancer, unless it is cured cervical cancer in situ, or skin cancer
- Have chronic back problems or have had back surgery in the past 5 years.
- Have had hepatitis (type B or C). Please speak with a Marrow Program staff person if you have a history of positive hepatitis test results.
- Have rheumatoid arthritis.

Having a history of heart disease or heart problems requires evaluation, and may prevent you from being tested.

Questions?
Contact The BloodCenter of Wisconsin at 1 (866) 702-HOPE or Tubon[at] matcmadison [dot] edu (Thomas Tubon) at (608) 246-6875.