As some of you know, I’m a big champion for Be the Match (click on the link and get all the information you need to make an informed choice!). In just a few steps, you can be registered, and who knows what could happen?
My niece Jessa has been fighting leukemia for over two years now. So far, she hasn’t needed a bone marrow transplant, and hopefully, she won’t. However, if she needed one, no one in her family is a match, but you might be. And if not for her, maybe someone else.
If you happen to be a person of color or person of mixed race, it’s more difficult to find a match. Take a look at this statement from Be the Match:
“Race and ethnicity matter: Because the markers used in matching are inherited, patients are more likely to match someone from their own ancestry. Adding more donors and cord blood units from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds to the Be The Match Registry increases the likelihood that all patients will find the match they need.
Your heritage can make all the difference. If you are from one of the following communities, you are especially encouraged to join the Be The Match Registry or donate umbilical cord blood:
Black and African American
American Indian and Alaska Native
Asian, including South Asian
Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander
Hispanic and Latino
Multiple race
A match for every patient. Hope for every family.
We have a registry of millions. But we still do not have matched bone marrow donors or umbilical cord blood for all patients, especially for those from racially and ethnically diverse communities.
We need more people to join the registry and expectant parents to donate umbilical cord blood. With your help, more people will receive a transplant. And more families will have a future filled with hope.”
What are you waiting for?
danasalvador 