OU-COM Sponsors an American Red Cross Bone Marrow and Blood Drive

Contact:Tia Trivision, Mgr. of Marketing at Osteopathic Medical Center, (740) 593-9572

ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine and the American Red Cross are encouraging people of minority backgrounds to join a crusade to save lives by joining the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) registry. OU-COM is hosting a drive at the Ohio University Convocation Center Lobby on Monday, January 22 from 12 noon to 7 p.m. for the university campus and the public. Participants can also donate whole blood for the local blood supply at the same time. To make an appointment, call 593-9572.

"We are appealing to people of African American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian and Pacific Islander and Hispanic heritage to unite in a mission to save lives," said Tia Trivison, Mgr. of Marketing at the University Osteopathic Medical Center and drive organizer. "We are encouraging minorities to come to the Convo on January 22 to learn more about marrow and blood stem cell donation. The drive is being held in honor of Kyle Hellyer, a 5-year-old Glouster boy who will be undergoing a bone marrow transplant at Fairview University Childrens Hospital in Minnesota in a few weeks, thanks to his dad, Dave, who was a match for him."

Because the characteristics that determine whether a patient and donor match are inherited, the most likely match is with a sibling. However, 70 percent of patients will not find a family match like Kyle. They must rely on volunteer marrow and stem cell donors. Although it is possible for a minority patient to match a donor from any racial or ethnic group, the most likely match is from someone with a similar ethnic background. "More minorities are desperately needed on the registry since only 20 percent of the four million potential donors are minorities," explained Trivison. "These minority patients deserve a second chance at life."

Each year, approximately 30 people are diagnosed with life-threatening blood diseases such as leukemia and aplastic anemia. To survive, these patients need stem cells to help their bodies make new, healthy marrow. Stem cells are immature cells that can develop into red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Stem cells usually live in bone marrow but are also released, in small numbers, into the blood stream. At any given time there are approximately 5,000 patients searching the NMDP registry for an unrelated match since no one in their family was found to be a match for them. While they wait, the patients also rely on volunteer blood donors and blood transfusions to keep their blood cell and platelet counts at healthy levels. Because blood is so important, the drive at the convocation center will also collect whole blood donations from volunteer donors. To donate blood, a person must be at least 17 yrs. old, weigh at least 110 lbs. and be in good health. They also could not have donated on November 28 or after to be eligible.

The first step in helping a patient needing a bone marrow transplant is to join the NMDP registry. Volunteers must be between 18 and 60 years old and be in good health. After completing a brief health questionnaire, the volunteer gives a small sample of blood and signs a consent form.

If ever matched with a patient, a volunteer receives further education about marrow donation, where a donor's stem cells are collected during a surgical procedure using a special needle inserted into the hip bone. And, blood stem cell donation, where the donor receives a growth factor medication that increases the number of stem cells released into the blood stream so they can be collected through an apheresis process. During apheresis, a donor's blood is removed through a sterile needle placed in a vein in one arm (much like whole blood donaton) and passed through an apheresis machine that separates out the stem cells. The remaining blood, minus stem cells, is returned to the donor via another sterile needle in the other arm.

For more information about marrow and blood stem cell donation, contact Tia Trivison at the University Osteopathic Medical Center at 593-9572 or the NMDP at 1-800-MARROW2 or www.marrow.org.