National Urban League Calls for Support of the National Donor Registry

The national donor registry is in desperate need of African-American donors and a bone marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant is a life changing treatment for people with leukemia and many other diseases.  Patients are more likely to match a donor from their own race or ethnicity, yet out of a registry of millions, less than 10 percent are African American. Finding a matched donor can also be challenging because African Americans are more genetically diverse.

 
We have the power to change these numbers and you can make a difference today!
 
Jennifer Jones Austin, an African American female, has been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and is in dire need of a bone marrow donor. Jennifer Jones Austin is 41, a wife and mother of two children, ages 12 and 7. Without a bone marrow transplant, doctors have indicated that her chances of survival are small. Her best chance of finding a match is through the Be The Match Marrow Registry. That is why we are asking for YOUR help.
 
A simple cheek swab is all that is needed to determine if YOU could be the one to save Jennifer or one of the other thousands of patients in need of a bone marrow transplant. You’ll only be contacted if you’re a match for someone in need. For more information on donor drives go to:
 
http://www.savejenaustin.com/
 
You can attend a bone marrow donor drive for Jennifer or join the registry at www.BeTheMatch.org. The test is a painless cheek swab and the donation process can be a simple as giving blood.
 
Please take a moment to join the registry and help to increase the African-American donor base.
 
You could be the one to save a life.