Bone marrow wanted; Information will be available on becoming a donor to help save the lives of people with leukemia and lymphoma

A new Fort Scott event will give residents a chance to learn about the potential to save a life and more about becoming a bone marrow donor.

The SEK Multi-County Health Department, Fort Scott Community College and Mercy Health Center are partnering with the Be The Match Foundation to hold the first Bone Marrow Donor Drive from 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, Sept. 28, in the commons area of the FSCC Academic Building, 2108 S. Horton.

"We haven't offered this before in the past," Bourbon County Public Health Nurse Alice Maffett said. "It's a wonderful opportunity for the community to try to join that registry. Hopefully, it will help somebody with leukemia or lymphoma."

People can come to the event to learn more or to sign up for the registry.

"If they qualify, after a medical assessment, swabs are taken and sent in and placed in the registry to check for matches for those suffering from leukemia or lymphoma," Maffett said.

For thousands of patients with life-threatening diseases such as leukemia and lymphoma, a bone marrow transplant from an unrelated donor is their best -- or only -- hope for a cure. People 18 to 60 years of age are being encouraged to provide a simple cheek swab, a news release said.

Attendees will be able to learn about adding their DNA to a bone marrow registry and the facts and risks before doing so.

They can also determine first whether they're eligible to be a donor.

"I want to emphasize that this can not only benefit our community members, but it's going to be on a national registry and helping people across our nation," Maffett said.

Maffett said it is important for people to be "aware of the importance" of becoming a bone marrow donor.

"That could be somebody's only hope for a cure is being a match for somebody," she said.

During the event, participants will be given information on the Be The Match Foundation and can then fill out medical assessment forms.

Once they're ready, donors swab the inside of their own cheeks to obtain the sample.

"Hopefully, a lot of people will participate," Maffett said.

After these first steps, the donor will be in the registry. Samples will then be sent to a lab that the Be The Match Foundation uses and cataloged into the registry to be matched.

Health care providers with patients in need of bone marrow donations search the database for a match for the patient.

"If they are indeed a match, they'll be contacting the donor or person listed as a contact to see if they'd be willing to come in," Maffett said.

Once a match is confirmed, the donor moves on to a procedure in which bone marrow is harvested from the hip, Maffett said. The registered person can decline at any time.

"It's all volunteer," Maffett said. "We don't want them to feel like they're committed."

Registered donors receive regular information about donor issues, changes or new developments.

Maffett said people who join the bone marrow registry stay on the list until age 61.

Donors with diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds are especially critical, as patients in need of a transplant are most likely to match someone who shares their race or ethnicity.

Many donors 18 to 25 years of age are particularly being sought, as they are the ones most likely to save a life, the release said.

The Be The Match Foundation will add all the new registered donors to the national Be The Match registry.

For more information, contact Maffett at (620) 223-4464.