More
young African-Americans are urgently needed on the national
Be The Match Registry, the world’s largest listing of
potential marrow donors. Currently, just 7 percent of 10 million potential
donors on the registry are African-American.
Donating
marrow can cure someone with sickle cell anemia or life-threatening blood
cancers. The most successful transplants occur between people who share similar
DNA because of their racial or ethnic heritage. But many Africa-Americans
can’t find marrow donors.
Sadly,
the myths about marrow
donation – like donating is painful or that you
have to pay to donate – keep people from joining the registry and potentially
saving a life. During African-American Bone Marrow Awareness Month in July, Be
The Match is working to dispel these myths through a new initiative called Swab+DNA=Save a Life.
You
can save a life by joining the Be The Match Registry as a potential marrow
donor. Please visit BeTheMatch.org to join online
today.
Helpful
links:
BeTheMatch.org – Be The Match Home Page
BeTheMatch.org/join – Join the
registry online
SwabplusDNA.org – Learn more about
the Swab+DNA campaign, featuring the cast of the hit television show NCIS
YouTube.com/BeTheMatch – Watch
inspirational stories of donors and patients
BeTheMatch.org/cord and Parent’s Guide to Cord Blood – Learn more about
public cord blood donation
Facebook.com/BeTheMatch and Twitter.com/BeTheMatch – Connect with Be
The Match on Facebook and Twitter
Source: Be The
Match
