The American Red Cross will conduct a bone marrow and blood drive today in the HUB-Robeson Center.
"This is the first bone-marrow drive we've had on campus in over five years," said Lisa Hart, associate director of donor resources for the American Red Cross.
The American Red Cross received grant money to help pay for the bone marrow sampling, Hart said.
Everyone who comes in to donate blood can choose to be placed on the bone marrow registry before they donate blood.
"If you are a match, you're going to be the life-saver of a patient," Hart said.
On any given day, there are 3,000 patients who are looking for a bone marrow transplant, Hart said.
Although a fee usually accompanies becoming part of the registry, everyone who donates blood tomorrow can be screened for free because of the grant money, she added.
"Bone marrow is mainly used to treat people with leukemia, aplastic anemia or any type of blood disease," Hart said.
Donors at the blood drive have many options. They can donate blood and enter the registry, and one extra tube of blood will be taken. No extra needle stick is needed.
Donors can also choose to enter the registry and not donate blood. This will require a simple blood test.
Donors can also choose to give blood without entering the registry.
"A lot of people think that in order to enter the registry they have to undergo a procedure that takes their marrow," said Wendi Keeler, donor resources field representative for the American Red Cross. "But it's a really simple procedure. All we need is an extra tube of blood."
If a potential donor matches a patient then he or she will be contacted to undergo further testing, Keeler said.
"The donor will be called for a potential match," Keeler said. "Then the donor can decide whether or not they want to go through with the procedure."
If the donor decides to give their marrow there are two different processes that could be used to take the marrow, Keeler said.
One of the procedures will include surgery, but the other only takes the donor's blood, Keeler said.
According to the American Red Cross, summer is the most difficult time to collect donations. The Red Cross, in conjunction with four other blood-banking institutions, have joined forces this summer to issue a national emergency appeal for blood donors of all types.
Every year more than 30,000 children and adults in the United States are diagnosed with a life-threatening disease such as leukemia. For many of these patients the only cure for their disease is a marrow or stem cell transplant, according to the American Red Cross.
A transplant like this is only possible when a patient and a donor have matching tissue types.
"Only 30 percent of patients will find a match within their families -- the rest find matches from unrelated donors," Keeler said. "That's why it's important to have as many people as possible in the registry."
Patients who are unable to find a match within their family turn to the National Bone Marrow Donor's Program's registry of volunteer donors. Most matches are found within a patient's own racial or ethnic group, according to the American Red Cross.
Patients who are minorities are less likely to find a donor than a Caucasian patient because of the limited amount of minorities in the National Bone Marrow Registry. There are 2,500,000 Caucasians registered. This compares to between 300,000 to 400,000 African Americans, Hispanics and Asian/Pacific Islanders. There are 60,000 Native Americans in the registry.
There are certain differences in eligibility requirements for both donating blood and entering the registry. For more information call the National Blood Donor Program at (877) 261-6786 or visit the Web site at www.marrow.org.
