Have you ever wondered what it would be like to save someone’s life?

Joey’s Dad, Tom Duffy, is a member of the Epsilon Omicron Chapter of Kappa Alpha Order.  Joey suffers from a rare disease known as Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), which is a precursor to Leukemia. This disease affects approximately 12,000 people per year in the US and about 80%-90% are over age 60, so for a young child like Joey, this is extremely rare.  The primary approach to curing MDS is through a bone marrow transplant.

Joey is very lucky, and has found his match!  He will undergo a Bone Marrow Transplant on March 28th, but he and his family hope to help many of the other searching patients to find a perfect match as well!

A simple cheek swab is all that is needed to determine if you could be the one to save one of the thousands of patients in need of a bone marrow transplant.  You’ll only be contacted if you’re a match for someone in need. We are seeking 18-44 year olds, in good health, that are willing to donate to any one in need to come out and join the Be The Match Registry. 

Please take this opportunity to join the Be The Match Registry. By becoming a member of the Registry, you could be a match for a patient in critical need—maybe even the only person who could save a patient’s life.  Click here to watch a great video about joining: http://youtu.be/rGnpFLiD-vg  

The need for diversity is very important; of the 10 million members on the registry, only 10% are Hispanic, 7% are African American and 7% are Asian.

Tissue typing is an expensive process, so financial contributions of any size are greatly appreciated, and you can make a donation by visiting www.bethematchfoundation.org/goto/EpsilonOmicron  

If you would rather send a check, they can be made out to Be The Match Foundation, list Virginia Wesleyan in the memo line.

Send to:

Be The Match, Attention Rebecca Mathis

1503 Santa Rosa Road, Suite 236

Richmond, VA  23229     

Below is more information about joining the registry:

REGISTRY GUIDELINES:

To be a member of the registry, all you need is to:

-      Be between the ages of 18 and 44. (90% of our donors come from this age range.  Those 45-60 are still able to join, but will need to do so by visiting www.bethematch.org/join and they will be asked to cover their registration cost of $100).

-      Be willing to donate to any patient in need.

-      Meet the basic health guidelines.

If you are unable to join, please consider becoming a volunteer to help recruit members, or make a financial contribution to help keep the registry growing.

HEALTH GUIDELINES:

The conditions below would prevent you from joining the Be the Match Registry:

-       HIV or risk of HIV

-       Hepatitis or risk for Hepatitis

-       Most forms of heart disease or cancer

-       Chronic lung disease

-       Diabetes requiring insulin or diabetes-related health issues

-       Diseases that affect blood clotting or bleeding

-       Recent back surgery, or severe or ongoing back problems

-       Autoimmune/neurological disorders such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis or multiple sclerosis

-       Being an organ or marrow transplant recipient

-       Significant obesity

IF YOU MATCH A PATIENT:

Below are the steps to donation if you are identified as a match for someone.  

TWO WAYS TO DONATE

The patient’s doctor requests one of two types of donation, depending on what is best for the patient.

PBSC donation

Peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation is the most common form of donating today, and is done about 75% of the time.  This is a non-surgical, out-patient procedure.  For five days before donation, the donor receives daily injections of a drug that increases blood-forming cells in the bloodstream.  On the fifth day, the donor’s blood is removed through a needle in one arm and passed through a machine that separates out the blood-forming cells.  The remaining blood is returned to the donor through the other arm.

Marrow donation

Marrow donation is a surgical, usually out-patient procedure.  While the donor us under anesthesia, the doctor uses needles to withdraw liquid marrow from the back of the pelvic bone.  The donor’s marrow completely replaces itself within four to six weeks.  After donation, marrow donors will have slight soreness, but they are back to their usual routine in one to seven days.

Please feel free to contact our Be The Match representative, Rebecca, at 804-380-6036 or rmathis@nmdp.org if you have any questions. We hope you will take a few minutes to attend the drive and help save a life.

Thank you!  Be the one to save a life. Be The Match.