Thousands of patients with leukemia and other life-threatening diseases depend on the National Marrow Donor Program to find a genetic match. The UH Collegiate Cancer Council, a student-run cancer awareness organization, will host signups for the donor registry Monday through Wednesday.
The registry is open to anyone between the ages of 18 and 60 who meets the health guidelines and is willing to donate to any patient in need if and when a match is made.
Because patients are more likely to find a match within their own race or ethnicity, a racially diverse registry increases the likelihood that every patient will find the match they need. The National Marrow Donor Program especially encourages blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and Asians to join the potential donor pool.
Joining the registry is free and painless – it just requires a swab of the cheek. The data is then kept on the donor registry. If a match is made and a donor agrees to give marrow, it can be extracted by a surgical procedure or by drawing blood.
Donors can join the registry at the University Center, the breezeway of the Philip G. Hoffman building or at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 27-29.
To learn more about joining the registry and donating marrow, go to www.bethematch.org or call 713-791-6697.