Alaskan pediatric patient in need of life-saving bone marrow; ANTHC hosts registry drive to assist in finding match
May 3, 2022In partnership with the Be the Match (BTM) Foundation, ANTHC is hosting a Bone Marrow Donor Registry Drive to benefit an Alaskan child who must receive a matched donation in the next four to six weeks.
When: Monday, May 9, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Where: Outside main rotunda entrance of the Alaska Native Medical Center; 4315 Diplomacy Drive
Who: People between the ages of 18-40 who are willing to get a cheek swab
For patients like this child, who are diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma or other life-threatening diseases, a marrow, stem cell, or cord blood transplant may be their best or only hope for a cure.
Like 70% of patients who need a transplant, this child does not have a matched donor in their family.
At the drive, interested donors will register on line and provide a simple, safe, cheek swab. The samples will be sent to the National Marrow Donor Program to be evaluated and typed. Even if you are not a match for this child, you may find that you can save another life in the future.
Less than 1% of Alaska Native and American Indian people are represented in the largest and most diverse stem cell registry in the world. More information on donating can be found here: https://bethematch.org/