MLS ‘Be the Match’ bone marrow drive registers 21 new donors

The SMHS Medical Laboratory Science Club’s “Be The Match” bone marrow donor registration drive held on-campus last week netted 21 new donors, each of whom signed-up for the national bone marrow registry. That’s at least 21 more lives potentially saved by bone marrow donation right here in North Dakota.

Bone marrow matches are vital, not only because thousands of patients with blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma — or other diseases like sickle cell anemia — need a blood stem cell transplant to survive, but because 70% of such patients don’t have a fully matched donor in their family. Individuals age 18–40 can still sign-up to join the registry, and those 40+ can donate/volunteer at bethematch.com. By joining the Be The Match registry, your genetic type is included in the search process for every patient in need of a genetically matched donor. Hear both patient and donor stories at bethematch.org/stories/.

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