Bone marrow drive to be held

STAFFORD — Thousands of patients with leukemia and other life-threatening diseases depend on the Be The Match Registry for a life-saving marrow match. As part of the Be the Match Marrowthon, which aims to bring 46,000 new members to the registry June 8-22, area residents are hosting a marrow donor registry drive in Stafford on June 20.

The focus of their efforts is in honor of 6-year-old Sydney Gavan of Columbiaville, Mich. Sydney was diagnosed with Biphenotypic Acute Leukemia, a rare form of cancer. Finding a match is Sydney’s best chance of survival. Joining the registry is as easy as filling out a short health questionnaire and swabbing the inside of your cheek with a cotton swab. You must be between the ages of 18 and 60 and be in general good health.

Leukemia, a cancer of the bone marrow and blood, can affect anyone, as the cause of the disease is unknown. About 231,000 people have it in the United States with 44,000 new cases being diagnosed each year. Around half of these people will die of the disease, many because they won’t find a match. Unfortunately, only a third of patients who require a bone marrow transplant will find a match.

Sydney’s rare form of leukemia accounts for only 5 percent of all leukemias. She has undergone chemotherapy but is no longer in remission. She needs to have a transplant and as of April 27, of all 7.5 million registered donors not one is a match for her. Sydney has a couple of numbers that are hard to match and it is now more important than ever to get people tested and on the list.

During the drive the registration fee of $52 is waived for the first 65 people. Registration is free for all active-duty military and their dependents and DoD civilians.

The Marrow Donor Registry Drive is June 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Mount Ararat Baptist Church, 65 Toluca Road, in Stafford. For more information, contact Lisa Wick at (540) 318-5743 or Marilyn Neve (540) 295-5575.

— Press release