Registration With Bone Marrow Program Provides Hope For Cure, Nov. 5

A commitment to be a potential donor of bone marrow is serious, but simple. Donating is not a painful process, and could be the difference between life and death for someone with lymphoma, leukemia and other life-threatening diseases.

The second annual Bone Marrow Drive to register individuals of diverse backgrounds with the National Marrow Donor Program Registry will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 5 in the Clark Gymnasium at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Sponsored by the Physician Assistant Student Association and the physician assistant class of 2011 at RIT, the drive is focused on broadening the diversity of the national registry. The likelihood of a match increases significantly when the donor and recipient are of the same ethnical backgrounds.

The perception that bone marrow donation requires surgery or is painful is a common myth. The procedure itself has very few risks and does not involve pain. The process is carefully guided by physicians beginning with careful screening and may result in saving a life.

There is an urgent need for individuals from African-American, American Indian, Asian, Hispanic, Latino and multiple-race communities to register in order to give those with the same ethnic background a chance to find a suitable donor.

For more information, contact Sarah Backus at srb1886@rit.edu or (585) 301-7279.