SUNY Poly will host a Marrow Donor Registry event on Tuesday, October 25th, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., in the Student Center.  Come get swabbed and save a life.  It's free and easy and simply takes a few minutes.

Prospective donors must be 18-44 years of age and meet eligibility criteria.

The National Marrow Donor Program, a nonprofit organization, provides bone marrow and umbilical cord blood transplants to patients in need. It operates the Be the Match Registry, the world’s largest listing of potential marrow donors and donated cord blood units, and raises funds to help provide transplants to all patients through the Be The Match Foundation.

Important Facts:

Every 3 minutes, someone is diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma or another blood cancer. For many, the only cure is a blood stem cell transplant. a 25% will find a donor in their immediate family.

Another 25% will find a donor in the worldwide marrow registry. But there simply aren’t enough potential donors in the marrow registry.

Each year, more than 58,000 die from blood cancers. a Joining the registry is easy – Just get your cheeks swabbed (no needles!) and fill out a short questionnaire.

Just five minutes, and you can become a hero! a Chances of being called to donate are 1 in 540. But if you are called, someone is dying, and it’s your chance to save a life! a

Though race has no genetic basis, a potential donor’s genes (HLAs) must correlate with the patient’s ethnic background. And while all donors are needed, those urgently needed are African Americans, Asian/Pacific Islanders, Latinos, Native Americans and people of multiracial backgrounds.

Myths vs. Facts about joining the Marrow Donor Registry Myth:

Joining the registry means you will be donating at the marrow drive.

Fact: False! To join the registry you simply get swabbed and fill out a short health questionnaire (similar to registering as an organ donor at the DMV). Chances of being called to donate are 1 in 540. If you are a match, Be The Match contacts you.

Myth: It is very painful to donate marrow stem cells.

Fact: Not true! Today, 90% of donors provide marrow stem cells through a peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation. This nonsurgical procedure takes place at an outpatient facility that participates in PBSC collections. Your blood is removed through a needle in one arm and passed through a machine that collects only the blood-forming stem cells. The remaining blood is returned through a needle in your other arm. Today, just 10% of bone marrow donations are surgical procedures. In these cases, general anesthesia is used, and the donor feels no pain.

Myth: It’s expensive to join the marrow registry.

Fact: Joining the registry is completely free. And if you end up being a match for someone, donating doesn’t cost you a dime, either. The registry and the health insurance company of the patient pick up all costs for you and a friend: travel, lodging, food, and medical costs associated with the transplant. So come join the Be The Match marrow registry!

*Sponsored by the SUNY Poly Nursing Club and the Health & Wellness Center

If you can’t make it to this registry, join online! Go to http://join.BeTheMatch.org/SUNYPolySaves