LifeStream Be The Match

Every year, more than 10,000 Americans get life-threatening diseases that can only be cured with a bone marrow transplant from an unrelated donor. 70% of these patients do not have a family member who is a suitable donor, and a donation from a volunteer marrow donor is their only hope fur survival. Because tissue types are inherited, patients are most likely to match someone of their own race or e

thnicity. Registry members from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds are especially needed, so every patient has a second chance at life. A marrow transplant can be a life-saving treatment for people with leukemia, lymphoma and many other diseases. First, patients undergo chemotherapy and/or radiation to destroy their diseased marrow. Then a donor's healthy blood-forming cells (marrow) are given directly into the patient's bloodstream, where they can begin to grow and function normally. In order for a patient's body to accept these healthy cells, the donor's tissue type needs to match the patient's type as closely as possible. Doctors search the Be The Match Registry to find a suitable donor. The more people who commit to becoming a donor, the greater the likelihood that a doctor will find a match for a severely ill patient who needs a marrow transplant.