Local bone marrow drive aims to save lives

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Online Poster

By Amanda Reavy

With just a prick of the finger or a vein in the arm, students have the chance to save someone’s life.

Lambda Psi Upsilon and the Asian American Association are sponsoring a bone marrow and blood drive this week to benefit patients in need of blood stem cell transplants. The drive began at 10 a.m. Monday in Room 314 of the Union and will continue on Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Illinois Street Residence Halls.

Arthur Wu, external vice-president of Lambda Psi Upsilon and co-coordinator of the drive, said this is the eighth year for the drive. Several years ago, one of the fraternity’s brothers was diagnosed with leukemia and needed a bone marrow transplant, said Wu, senior in engineering. Due to the low number of donors, he could not find a match. His illness inspired the fraternity’s national board to adopt blood and bone marrow donation as their national philanthropy cause, he said.

“(The cause) is something that doesn’t get enough exposure,” said Youngmi An, co-coordinator of the drive and external vice-president of the Asian American Association. “Not as many people know about the need to donate bone marrow.”

While everyone is encouraged to donate, Wu said he encourages minority students to participate because it is especially difficult for minority patients to find a bone marrow match.

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Melissa Webb, assistant director of the Marrow Program for Community Blood Services of Illinois, said this is because Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) typings vary so much across ethnicities and backgrounds that it is sometimes difficult for minority patients to find a match. HLA typings are genetic markers that people inherit from their parents, she said. Webb and other Community Blood Services of Illinois personnel were present on Monday and will be on-hand on Friday to register people for the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry and to collect blood.

By participating in the drive, students are not actually donating their bone marrow, but having it tested for placement in the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry. Donors’ blood typings are placed on file and checked to see if they have a potential match with a sick patient in need of a transplant.

If a student’s bone marrow finds a match, the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) contacts them. According to www.marrow.org, the purpose of the NMDP is to locate unrelated donors for patients in need of a blood stem cell transplant with no family member who is an appropriate tissue match.

In order to donate blood, students must weigh at least 110 pounds and eat a meal and drink plenty of fluids before donating. The only requirement to donate bone marrow is to be at least 18 years old and bring a photo ID, Webb said.

If students are eligible, they may give 10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) of blood taken from a vein in the arm or the finger.

After they participate in the drive, students receive a card signifying they are potential donors, Wu said. The process only takes about 10 minutes and students may also withdraw from the registry at any time, he said.

“People are usually scared,” Wu said. “They think it is an actual commitment, but there is really no obligation (after donating).”

Wu said there is a definite need for more donors. Last year’s drive received 80 donors. He hopes to reach 100 this year.

“Helping out causes you to give a person a second chance at life,” he said. “It is a worthwhile cause.”

Lisa Wright, donor relations coordinator for Community Blood Services of Illinois, said there is also a great need of blood and bone marrow donors during the holiday season before students leave campus for break. The largest part of their donor base is students in high school and college, she said.

Jean Lo, sophomore in LAS, decided to register her bone marrow for donation for the first time on Monday. As a member of the Asian American Association, she said she thought it was a good cause. Overall, she said the process was not painful and hopes her name on the list will result in a match for someone.

Jonathan Wan, freshman in engineering, decided to donate his blood and register his bone marrow for a second time this year. He was inspired to participate in the drive because one of his former teachers from home was near death until a bone marrow transplant saved her life.

“It only takes an hour of your time, but it can help save someone else,” Wan said.