AED Halloween Gift of Life Bone Marrow Drive #3

AED's Bone Marrow Committee will be hosting its second bone marrow drive of the semester from 11AM-5PM. At this drive, AED members are invited to register into the Gift of Life Marrow registry or recommend other friends, family members, organizations, extracurriculars, etc. to register into the registry for hours. In short, our drive's mission is to add people into the marrow registry to help patients that are suffering from blood borne diseases such as Leukemia (blood cancer). Unfortunately, many patients we orient to help are suffering from blood borne diseases and no longer respond to the harsh radiation and chemotherapy treatments. As a result, their last chance of hope to extend their life is through a marrow transplant. However, in order to receive a transplant, patients must first find a match with someone who has the same HLA type. Therefore, to increase the already low chances of matching at 0.006%, Gift of Life alongside AED are working to add people into a marrow registry data base through cheek swabs to help increase these chances of finding a match. In short, the process to register is fairly simple. The process to be added into the registry is to:

• Be 18-55 years old
• fill out a 5-7 minute online questionnaire (Basic questions of approximate height, weight, brief medical history, etc.)
• swab your cheeks for 30 seconds via q tips (10 seconds for one cue tip)

Once added, you will receive an email being added into the registry. From there, you will only be contacted a second time if you happen to be a match for someone who is in need of a Bone Marrow Transplant. When contacted, it is at your own discretion to choose to donate or not. You are free to answer either yes or no. However, if you choose to say yes, you will be flown out or directed by Gift of Life (all hotel, flight, food, expenses paid) to go to a marrow registry to undergo two possible procedures. The two procedures are:

• Peripheral STEM Cell Transplant: Accommodated alongside snacks, water, and other needs, you will essentially do a simple blood draw. In short, your arm will be injected with a drug called neupogen to increase your peripheral STEM cells. After a short period of time, you will do a basic blood draw for those peripheral STEM cells. Those peripheral STEM cells will then be donated to a patient suffering from blood cancer and either extend their life or cure them of their condition. Pretty cool huh?
• Bone Marrow Transplant: Accommodated alongside snacks, water, and other needs, you will be put to sleep and essentially have marrow drawn from your hip. This is a very rare form of transplant that is oriented to help kids ages 1-5 suffering leukemia. While it may sound scary, from talking to a Gift of Life donor who has done both procedures, he would prefer this method due to you not feeling anything. In short, this process puts you to sleep, and then you wake up with a bruise on your hip.

*DISCLAIMER*: We are not conducting either of these procedures at the drive and are simply adding people into the Marrow Registry. Additionally, if you do happen to match and choose to donate via either of the procedures, you can return to work the very next day :)

Nonetheless, there are only two Gift of Life Members in Las Vegas. With UNLV being ranked the most diverse campus across the nation, we are hoping to add as many people into the registry to increase the chances of helping diverse vulnerable populations. Nonetheless, the bone marrow committee looks forward to seeing you at our drive or helping our mission to help patients who are suffering across the world.

Also enjoy some spooky halloween candy and get to know more about the bone marrow committee!