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Bone marrow donation is the treatment of last resort for many people who have developed certain autoimmune diseases or fatal blood-related diseases, such as leukemia. It's a safe and proven procedure, but many cancer patients die because they can't find a match. One solution is to get as many people as possible to have their genetic characteristics assessed and their names added to the donor list. This is particularly crucial for non-white people ("people of color"), who have traditionally been under-represented in the donor lists; although "race" is not the ultimate factor that determines whether someone is a potential donor, closer genetic links increase the likelihood of a match.

Getting registered is typically painless: in many jurisdictions, all you need is to submit a cheek swab to the people who maintain the registry; in others, you can ask to be added to the registry when you donate blood. If you'd like to help evangelize this program, feel free to download a brochure that you can distribute electronically or in print.

To learn more, try the following resources:

• ACLT
• Asian-American Donor Program
• Canadian Blood Services
• Europe Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation
• Swab the World
• U.S. National Marrow Donor Program

Please use the Contacts page to send me links to your country's donor organization so I can add it to the list!

In fond memory of Emru Townsend, writer, editor, father, friend.

©2004–2024 Geoffrey Hart. All rights reserved.