Registering as a bone marrow donor has never been easier, as students will find during this year’s registration drive.
The Washington University Marrow Registry (WUMR), the student group that organizes the annual event, will cover all costs for students for the first time in its four-year history.
The drive will be held today and tomorrow in Friedman Lounge from 4-9 p.m. and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Lopata Gallery and the undergraduate lounge in Simon Hall.
This year, WUMR has worked with sponsors to make the drive free for everyone for the first time in WUMR’s history.
Previously, donors had to pay $65 to join the registry, a cost that covered the complex tests necessary to determine bone marrow type.
The group has also worked to alleviate students’ fears about marrow donation.
“I know how students approach this and why they are afraid of it and I want to attack it from that angle,” said Brayden Yellman, president of WUMR. “The more publicity we get the better. The more people who know about it the better, even if you are afraid of needles. You can always encourage your friends to do it. Sometimes it is helpful to have some peer pressure so you can all do it together.”
Although a needle is one way of obtaining a blood sample, a finger prick is also an option, since only seven drops are required for testing. The samples are tested for the six antibodies that determine your bone marrow type.
After the marrow has been typed, the donor’s name is added to the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) registry alongside the names of over 5.5 million other donors.
This registry can then be searched by doctors for perfect matches for patients requiring life-saving bone marrow transplants. A donor’s chances of being matched are slim, but if one is found, donation is completely optional.
“A lot of people either don’t understand what it is or don’t want to take the time [to register],” said Marla Esser, a University alum and recipient of the 2005 Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service award for her work with WUMR and registry drives throughout the St. Louis area.
Esser’s neighbors have two children, Alex and Matt, who were diagnosed with the rare, life-threatening disease Fanconi Anemia. A bone marrow transplant is the only cure for their condition.
Defying great odds, Alex found her perfect match and received a successful transplant in May of 2001. Matt has yet to find a potential donor, and his condition has recently worsened. He is currently receiving blood transfusions and, without a transplant, might die within a year.
Although Matt’s chances of finding a match in the University community are slim, WUMR hopes to achieve a “moral victory” for him and to expand the registry for the more than 35,000 other people in the United States with diseases that require marrow transplants for a cure.
Registration at WUMR’s drives has been steadily increasing since their start in 2001, and Esser hopes the trend will continue.
“If we could get over 500 donors registered, I would be elated,” said Esser.
In order to encourage freshmen to get involved, WUMR will be throwing a pizza party for the freshman floor who registers the most people.
Sophomore Dave Zeman, a recruiter for WUMR, will be helping at the drive. Zeman was diagnosed with leukemia in April of 1994 and, after the failure of chemotherapy, received a life saving bone marrow transplant from his sister.
“It’s an opportunity to allow anyone to save a child’s life, something you can’t do on a regular basis, and it only takes seven drops of blood,” says Zeman.