More than 80 percent of the Black and African American patients searching the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP) Registry for a donor will not get the life-saving marrow transplant they need.
One of the main reasons for this is that there are not enough Black or African American donors on the Registry. The NMDP is committed to helping all patients find the life-saving match they need and has launched the Be the One campaign as part of its ongoing efforts to increase the number of diverse donors on the Registry.
For many patients, a marrow transplant may be the only hope for a cure. Patients like 17-year-old De'sha Tiera Woods, who needs a marrow transplant, are at a disadvantage because of the lack of registered Black and African American donors.
Several years ago, Woods was diagnosed with leukemia and has since been searching for a donor. "I need a donor willing to help save my life and I'm ready," stated Woods. "I'm not scared, but I do have concerns. Like, what is going to happen to my family? I just want everyone to be happy."
Woods' mother Delores Woods adds, "The wait while searching for a donor is so hard. We've been holding donor drives and trying to get the word out at churches, schools and through the media," stated Woods' mother. "Too many people think that it doesn't affect them, so they don't get involved. We tell them that everyone is needed, especially more donors for Black and African American patients. People need to start listening and learn how important it is for them to join the NMDP Registry. People's lives depend on it."
Patients are most likely to match someone from their same race or ethnicity, but less than 10 percent of the individuals on the Registry are Black or African American. And 70 percent of patients do not have a matching donor in their family. These patients turn to the Registry hoping to find a match.
"Cases like De'sha's are not rare. Every day more than 6,000 men, women and children search the NMDP Registry for someone who could save their life,"
said Jeffrey W. Chell, M.D., chief executive officer of the NMDP. "The patients who search are fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers, neighbors and friends.
And you could be the one to give them a second chance at life."
Members of the Registry who donated to a patient in need are teaming up with the NMDP on Be the One to share their experiences and encourage others to join. When donor Stephanie Wertz was first approached at an event about joining the Registry, she was concerned about the donation process. "I realized I had a lot of misperceptions about the donation process. The recruiter who spoke with me taught me the facts," said Wertz.
Donors like Wertz are now helping dispel some of the most common myths about the donation process. Many are concerned that the marrow collection process is painful, that the recovery time is very lengthy and that pieces of bone are removed. In fact, marrow donors feel no pain during the collection process as anesthesia is always used. Donors can expect to be back to work, school, and other activities within one to seven days after donating. Pieces of bone are not removed from the donor and donors do not pay for the collection process.
A year after she joined the NMDP Registry, Wertz was chosen as a match for a little boy who is now healthy and happy. "I am very happy I decided to go through with the donation," stated Wertz. "I remember one nurse calling me a 'hero', but I don't think of myself as one. I'm just blessed to be able to help.
Knowing that I gave a patient hope is the best feeling in the world."
Joining the NMDP Registry is quick, easy, and painless. A swab of cheek cells is taken to determine the donor's tissue type, which is then added to the Registry. People interested in joining the Registry can join at a drive in their area, or online at www.marrow.org. To learn more about becoming a donor, visit www.marrow.org or call 1 (800) MARROW-2. Be the one to give hope, be the one to save a life. Join today.
About the National Marrow Donor Program
The NMDP facilitates unrelated marrow and cord blood transplants as a single point of access for a long-standing collaborative network of national and international leading medical facilities in marrow and cord blood transplantation. The NMDP connects patients, doctors, donors and researchers to the resources they need to help more people live longer and healthier lives.
For more information call 1 (800) MARROW-2 or visit www.marrow.org. Join online at www.marrow.org/join.
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