Upcoming DrivesOur next registration drive will be held in cooperation with the NSBE Walk for Education, on April 26th from 8am to 3pm.And remember: there is no blood involved in registering as a potential marrow donor-- just some paperwork and a cheekswab. Note: Be sure to have either your driver's license number or social security number handy when you drop by, as one of the two is required information on the forms. What is a Marrow Regisry Drive?A Marrow Registry Drive is an opportunity to enroll in the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) and remain in the registry until your 61st birthday.The NMDP is searched daily on behalf of patients looking for a bone marrow match. Over 3000 people in the U.S. -- including 30 from the St. Louis area -- need a bone marrow transplant for a chance for life. To enroll in the NMDP, you must be between the ages of 18 and 59 and free of chronic disease. The Heart of America, an NMDP affiliate, is responsible for screening donors and submitting them to the NMDP. You will be asked a number of medical questions in the screening process and a series of four cheek swabs will type your bone marrow. If you are unable to be tested, please consider sponsoring someone else to be tested. If you are unable to afford the testing fee, please consider finding sponsors for yourself. The NMDP will contact anyone matching a patient awaiting a donor and begin additional testing. There are some common myths about donating bone marrow that we would like to correct: It is not a painful surgery, rather, it can be done as an outpatient procedure with a brief recovery process. Marrow grows back in approximately two weeks. The financial responsibility of the donation is that of the receiving patient and/or the patient's insurance.
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Contact WUMR if you have questions or are interested in getting involved.