{"id":2584,"date":"2013-03-19T22:25:22","date_gmt":"2013-03-20T03:25:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/?p=2584"},"modified":"2013-03-19T22:25:22","modified_gmt":"2013-03-20T03:25:22","slug":"donors-register-to-be-the-match","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.uwsp.edu\/cps\/2013\/03\/19\/donors-register-to-be-the-match\/","title":{"rendered":"Donors register to “Be the Match”"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"bethematch201303\"<\/a><\/figure>\n

A quick swab of the cheek is all it took for 136\u00a0University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point students, faculty and staff as they registered for a chance to be a hero and save someone’s life at the UWSP Sports Medicine Club Be the Match<\/a> bone marrow registry drive on Tuesday, March 19. [Photo Gallery<\/a>]<\/p>\n

The odds are one out of 542 people who sign up will be a match. Once on the registry, potential donors are on it until the age of 60 or until they request to be removed.<\/p>\n

Learn more about Be the Match National Marrow Donor Program<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Q: What is a bone marrow transplant? <\/strong>
\nA: Bone marrow transplant is a life-saving treatment for people with blood cancers like leukemia and\u00a0lymphoma, sickle cell\u00a0and other life-threatening diseases. First, patients undergo chemotherapy and sometimes radiation to destroy their diseased marrow. Then a donor’s healthy blood-forming cells are given directly into the patient’s bloodstream, where they can begin to function and multiply.<\/p>\n

For a patient’s body to accept these healthy cells,\u00a0the patient needs a donor who is a close match. Seventy percent of patients do not have a donor in their family and depend on the Be The Match Registry to find an unrelated bone marrow donor or umbilical cord blood.<\/p>\n

Q: Why is there a need for people to join the Be The Match Registry?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: Thousands of patients with blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, sickle cell and other life-threatening diseases depend on the Be The Match Registry\u00ae<\/sup> to find a match to save their life.<\/p>\n

Patients need donors who are a genetic match. Even with a registry of millions, many patients cannot find a match. Donors with diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds are especially needed. To learn more, see The Need for Donors<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Q: What is the donation process like?<\/strong>
\nA: Adult donors may be asked to donate in one of two ways:<\/p>\n