Bone marrow drive next Saturday

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

I noticed an article in the Somerville Journal (thanks, RSS!) saying that there will be a bone marrow donor drive Saturday, Oct. 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Church of the Nazarene, 52 Russell St., Cambridge.

Some more quoting: "To join the NMDP Registry, attend the drive to fill out registration forms and give a cheek swab....To register, donors must be ages 18 to 60, have a photo ID, be willing to donate to any patient in need, and meet the health guidelines." (Many things that would disqualify you from donating blood do not disqualify you from joining the marrow donor registry, by the way.)

And also, "There is a special need for donors with diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds."

A dear family friend died a few years ago of leukemia, which taught me how difficult it is to find a matching donor if there is not one in your immediate family. (Her brother actually matched her, and did donate, and it didn't take...which also taught me how very much I hate leukemia...but that's another story...)

It is easy and painless to register as a donor (no needles!), and the more people who do, the more likely people with leukemia will be able to find a donor and at least have a chance. So you should all go.