Savannah Jaycees Announce Bone Marrow Donor Drive
(SAVANNAH, GA) The Savannah Jaycees is proud to announce a partnership with St. Joseph’s/Candler to hold a bone marrow donor registry drive for BeTheMatch.org. Mark Saturday, November 22nd on your calendar from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion.
The Jaycees decided they had to do something to help raise awareness after longtime Jaycee member and former Jaycee president came to the membership with a very personal request for everyone to get involved.
“Chairing this event and raising awareness for Be The Match is very personal to me. Just 4 months ago, I had no idea what BeTheMatch.org was, nor what the process was for those patients in need of a bone marrow transplant. That changed quickly when my mother was diagnosed Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS). She is now anxiously awaiting a match for a bone marrow transplant,” says Matt Usher.
Matt’s mom is like 70% of patients in need of a transplant. They do not have a “match” within their family. 12,000 people need donors each year, which means they rely on strangers to help save their lives. That’s when Be The Match comes into play.
Be The Match manages the bone marrow donor registry and once a match is found, they help facilitate bone marrow transplants as well as patient support, research, education, and overall awareness. Joining the registry is easy. It only takes 10 minutes, which is mostly paperwork and then a quick swab of your cheek. From there, potential donors are put in a registry. If a donor is found to be a match, the organization facilitates the bone marrow transplants. There’s no cost to the donor. Be The Match pays for everything.
“When I think about what my mother is going through and compare it to how easy it is to join the registry, it is just a small step in hopes of eventually being the match for someone else and ultimately saving their life,” continues Matt.
The best donors are those between the ages of 18 and 44 years old. We urge you to help make a difference for families like the Ushers.
Again, join us on Saturday, November 22, 2014, 10AM – 2PM, and location the Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion, 225 Candler Drive, across Reynolds Street from Candler Hospital.
For more information about the Be The Match donor drive, contact Matt Usher or Will Gruver at: matt.usher10@gmail.com or will.gruver@gmail.com
For more information on Be The Match, visit their website: www.bethematch.org
For more information on the Savannah Jaycees, visit our website at: http://www.savannahjaycees.com/
Follow us on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/savannah.jaycees?ref=br_tf
Contact: Randi Hempel
Email: rhempel@rcsavannah.com
Phone: 912-660-0079