Marrow Drive - Diverse Patients Need Donors!

MEDIA ADVISORY
For Tuesday April 21, 2009

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Marrow Donor Event
Event Raises Awareness about the Need for More Black and African American Marrow Donors

WHAT: Prince George’s County residents can take the first step to save a life by joining the Be The Match RegistrySM between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at Prince George’s Community College (PGCC) Largo Student Center, Community Rooms A & B, by simply swabbing their cheeks.

The NIH Marrow Donor Program, along with the Nursing Program of Prince George’s Community College (PGCC), is holding the marrow drive in the hopes of raising local awareness about the dire need for donors to join the Be The Match RegistrySM. Donors with diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds are especially critical, as patients in need of a transplant are most likely to match someone of their own race and ethnicity. The event is open to all.


WHEN: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 WHERE: Prince George’s Community College
3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Largo Student Center, Community Rms A&B
301 Largo Road
Largo, MD 20774
(301) 322.0400
SPECIAL FEATURE: 93.9 WKYS radio will attend with DJ Antonio who will have giveaways and offer live call-ins to the radio station.
PHOTO/INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES:
· Recipient Dwayne, 20, Maryland: Diagnosed with aplastic anemia while living in his native Jamaica, he traveled to the NIH, where he received his marrow transplant approximately 18 months ago. He is very excited about the opportunity to speak at the PGCC donor drive.
· Donor Garrett Stackman, Silver Spring, MD: Stackman, an attorney and NIH donor, joined the Registry when a colleague of his wife’s was searching for a marrow match. Almost two years ago he donated his cells to a man who was in the fight of his life; the two met for the first time this past October. Stackman, who considers this one of the more important things he’ll do in his life, is eager to share his donation experience.
· WKYS Radio Station, Antonio "The Cuban Cigar Smoker": WKYS is partnering with the NIH Marrow Donor Program and PGCC to encourage local residents to come learn more about marrow donation, the need for diverse donors, and to join the Registry.
· Maryland Delegates


WHY: For thousands of patients with life-threatening diseases such as leukemia and lymphoma, a marrow transplant from an unrelated donor is their best or only hope for a cure. These patients depend on the Be The Match RegistrySM to find a match – and a second chance at life. While many patients do find the life-saving match they need each year, more donors are needed to help increase the likelihood that all patients will find a life-saving match.


About the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP) and Be The Match
The NMDP operates the Be The Match RegistrySM and partners with a global network of leading hospitals,
blood centers, cord blood banks, laboratories and recruiters. As a leader in the field of marrow and cord
blood transplantation, the NMDP facilitates transplants worldwide, conducts research to improve survival and
quality of life, and provides education to health care professionals and patients. Since it began operations in
1987, the NMDP has provided more than 35,000 transplants to help give patients a second chance at life.
For more information, visit www.BeTheMatch.org or call 1 (800) MARROW-2.

CONTACT: Gina L. Boyd, The NIH Marrow Donor Program, Cell: 202.345.5412, Office: 301.496.0572 , Email: boydg@cc.nih.gov


Meghann Long
Recruiting Assistant
NIH Marrow Donor Program
6011 Executive Blvd
Rockville, MD 20852
301-496-0572