By SARA GIBONEY
UNK Communications
KEARNEY – A marrow donor registry drive at the University of Nebraska at Kearney aims to help save the lives of people diagnosed with life-threatening blood cancers.
The marrow donor registry drive is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 19 in the Nebraskan Student Union atrium.
“My dad was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia in the summer of 2001 and because someone decided to join the registry, he received a transplant in February 2002,” said Aaron Estes, associate director of academic and career services.
“The generosity of that donor blessed us with three more years, and allowed him to continue teaching in UNK’s Counseling and School Psychology Department during that time,” Estes added. “We all want to leave our mark on the world, and I can’t think of a better way to do that than to save someone’s life, especially when joining the registry is so easy.”
Registering takes about 10 minutes and includes paperwork and a cheek swab.
One in 430 registry members go on to donate. When a registry member matches a patient in need, they are asked to donate. Donation is always voluntary.
Almost 80 percent of donors will donate their blood stem cells in a non-surgical procedure that is very similar to donating plasma.
Those joining the donor registry list must be between the ages of 18 and 44 and in good general health.
Join online at join.bethematch.org/Lopers.
The event is sponsored by the UNK Health Sciences Club.
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Writer: Sara Giboney, 308.865.8529, giboneys2@unk.edu
Source: Aaron Estes, 308.746.8501, estesag@unk.edu
