Every year, more than 10,000 patients in the United States are diagnosed with life-threatening diseases such as leukemia or lymphoma and their best option for a cure is a bone marrow transplant. Because 70 percent of patients do not have a matching donor in their family, they depend on people like you to help save their life. Be The Match is a movement that engages a growing community of people inspired to help patients who need a marrow or stem cell transplant. When you join the Be The Match Registry, you become part of every patient's search for a donor.
You have the power to heal, the power to save a life. Take the first step. Join the registry.
Even though there are over nine million registry members on the Be The Match registry more are desperately needed. Because tissue types are inherited, patients are most likely to match someone of their own race or ethnicity. Registry members from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds are especially needed, so every patient has a second chance at life.
A patient's likelihood of having a donor on the Be The Match registry who is willing and able to help save a life is estimated to range from 66 percent to 93 percent, depending on race and ethnicity:
Percentage of donors (race and ethnicity specific) willing and able to help save a life.
In 2010, 31 Hoosiers were chosen to donate to searching patients. Seven of the Indiana matches were requested to donate marrow and 24 of them were requested to donate peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC). Growing the registry increases the chances for searching patients to find a match in their time of need.
Join the National Registry - Joining the Be The Match registry is as easy as completing some paperwork and a simple do-it-yourself buccal/cheek swab. You can either register online or call (317) 916-5112 and leave your name, phone number and mailing address to request a Bone Marrow information/registration packet.
Donate Financially - While more registry members are needed, the total cost to add a new member to the Be The Match registry is about $100. As a non-profit organization, Indiana Blood Center is continually searching for funding sources to cover the cost of adding more generous donors like you. 100 percent of each contribution is dedicated to adding more members to the Be The Match registry. Please consider giving a tax-deductible donation today. Click here to donate.
Host a Bone Marrow Drive - To speak with someone about hosting a bone marrow drive in your community or for volunteer opportunities, please contact Angela Touseull at (317) 916-5110 or atouseull@indianablood.org.
For more information on Be The Match steps of donation, click here.
Check out Be The Match on Facebook.