This fall, the Ross Medical Education Center campus in Portage once again welcomed Michigan Blood to talk about Bone Marrow Donation and the “Be The Match” Registry. This is second annual event of its kind that the Portage campus has hosted. Ryan Heinhuis, a Stem Cell Recruitment Specialist from Michigan Blood, took the time to talk to each of the classes and stress the importance of joining the registry. She also took the time to elaborate on what exactly is required to join. Finally, she covered the life-changing and potentially life-saving outcomes of a bone marrow donation to someone suffering from debilitating and life-threatening diseases like leukemia and sickle cell anemia.
Michigan Blood has joined forces with Be the Match and is part of the National Marrow Donor Program. In addition to hosting blood drives throughout Michigan, they also have specialists that recruit potential marrow donors. According to their website, only about 30% of patients in need of a bone marrow transplant will match with someone in their family. That means that 70% of those in need will rely on the generosity of a complete stranger that has made the decision to join the registry. Therefore, the more people that join, the more likely it will be that those patients will find their match and be given a much better chance of survival.
The staff, faculty, and students loved having Michigan Blood once again share this incredible opportunity to support those in the community and throughout the country. Many students are unsure about the process at the beginning, but their minds are always quickly set at ease when they learn that all it takes is a cheek swab and some basic information! This year the campus had 19 students make the decision to join the registry!
If you are interested in joining the registry, you must be healthy and between the ages of 18 and 44. The process to register is painless and quick. More information can be found at http://www.miblood.org/be-the-match-registry/.