Festival of Communities Bone Marrow Drive Tabling

As members of the Bone Marrow Committee and partners with the Gift of Life organization, we believe every person battling blood cancer deserves a second chance at life — and we are determined to make it happen. We are singularly passionate about engaging the public to help us get everyone involved in curing blood cancer, whether as a donor, a volunteer or a financial supporter. It all begins with one remarkable person, one life-changing swab and one huge win — finding a match and a cure.

It’s a great feeling to know that you have the power to save a life. Thankfully you won’t need to leap tall buildings in a single bound to be a superhero!  Instead, you’ll need a cheek swab, a kind and compassionate personality, and the dedication to be someone’s hero when, someday, you receive the call that you are a match!  Are you ready to save a life? The first step is to join the registry and get swabbed. Joining is as simple as spending five minutes to complete a cheek swabbing kit, and returning it in a prepaid envelope. The cheek swabs will go to a laboratory for tissue typing, and that information will be entered into the international registry. Transplant centers can search the registry to find matching donors for their patients. In the future, you may be called a potential match for a patient. If so, you will be asked to have a blood test. If your blood test is a match, you will have a physical exam to ensure you are in good health and fit to donate. You will donate either blood stem cells or bone marrow. Your donation will be transplanted into the patient.

The factors used to match donors with patients are inherited, similar to how hair and eye color are inherited from our parents and ancestors. This means the best chance of finding a match is between two people who share ethnicity or genetic heritage. There is an urgent need to diversify the registry, so all patients can find a lifesaving donor when one is needed. Currently, many ethnic groups are underrepresented, making it difficult to find matches. For multiracial individuals and those of African ancestry, this is a huge challenge. No matter your ethnic background, we encourage you to join the registry, as you could have the amazing opportunity to save someone's life. Regarded as the most diverse campus in the nation, UNLV presents an ideal populace who could make a large impact. The Festival of Communities grants a bodacious opportunity to expand the registry's ethnic mass.

We will be tabling at the Festival of Communities event/fair on April 23 from 12 to 4 pm! Feel free to come to say hi and learn more about the Bone Marrow Registry. Maybe even consider joining! Look for our 'Your Cure' table during the fair!

Registering is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity so we highly encourage your participation. As always, if you swab your cheek as an AED member you receive 2 humanitarian hours and an additional hour for every referral (unlimited hour opportunity)!

For any additional questions or concerns, please contact the Bone Marrow Committee chairs: Ojas Sali (salio1@unlv.nevada.edu) and Rachel Kim (kimr12@unlv.nevada.edu).