Levine Children's Hospital, in conjunction with the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), hosted the Be The Match Marrowthon on Friday, June 12, from 10am-4pm in the Gorelick Conference Center. The donor marrowthon was an enormous success! Over 180 donors were typed and their information submitted to the registry. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE! Our efforts at Levine Children's Hospital will reap BIG REWARDS! We all have the power to help and the power to give hope. This was one of a series of bone marrow drives scheduled throughout the region, the Marrowthon was open to CHS employees and the public. The National Marrow Donor Program, which recently changed its name to Be The Match Registry, has been helping patients receive the transplants they need for more than 20 years.
Every year, thousands of people of all ages are diagnosed with leukemia and other life-threatening diseases that require a bone marrow transplant. Because 70 percent of them will not have a well matched donor in the family, they will rely on the Be The Match Registry to find a match to save their lives, explained Carrie Barnhart, transplant nurse coordinator at Levine Children's Hospital.
Under the direction of Andrew Gilman, M.D., Levine Children's Hospital launched its blood and marrow transplantation program in 2008. Since that time, eight children have undergone transplant procedures. Several more children are currently seeking that 'perfect match.'
CHS employees and the public were invited to participate in the 'Be The Match Marrowthon.' Participants were asked to complete a brief medical questionnaire, watch a short video, and then provide a DNA sample (obtained by swabbing the inside of the mouth with a Q-tip swab.) The entire process took 20 minutes.
'We all have the power to help and the power to give hope,' said Barnhart.
