May, 23 2007

Give the Gift of Life

Join the National Marrow Donor Program Registry

by Phoenix Children's Hospital

Recently, the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) sponsored the Thanks Mom! Marrow Donor Recruitment Campaign which encouraged people nationwide to help give the gift of life by joining the NMDP Registry.

The need for donors is crucial year-round. Phoenix Children's Hospital and Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale operate Phoenix's first pediatric blood and marrow transplant (BMT) program. Currently, Phoenix Children's has seven children waiting for a bone marrow transplant. Four of these children are Hispanic, and one is Asian.

"We are specifically looking for minorities to register," said Roberta Adams, MD, Medical Director of the Blood and Marrow Program at Phoenix Children's Hospital and Mayo Clinic. "There is always a need since the pool for minority donors is so much smaller."

People age 18-60 in generally good health are encouraged to visit www.marrow.org to register and find a local donor center. The donor registration process includes a short questionnaire, and a small blood sample or swab of cheek cells taken with a cotton swab to determine the tissue type to be matched against patients who need a donor. This information is added to the NMDP registry.

If a patient is diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, or other blood disorders and does not have a matched sibling or family member, the registry is consulted to see if there is a match resulting from the donor registry. If a match is identified, people on the registry are contacted to ascertain their willingness to proceed with donation.

NMDP donor centers and recruitment groups work daily to diversify the registry, increasing the number of donors from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds to improve all patients' odds of finding a donor.

NMDP's worldwide network of more than 500 leading medical facilities, including Mayo Clinic and Phoenix Children's Hospital, have assisted in helping more than 25,000 patients receive the chance for a longer life because they received a marrow or cord blood transplant through the NMDP.

For more information, visit the NMDP website or call (800) MARROW2 (1-800-627-7692).

By Jane Walton, Sr. Media Specialist, Phoenix Children's Hospital

Phoenix Children's Hospital is Arizona's leader in pediatric care and is one of the 10 largest free-standing children’s hospitals in the nation. The most comprehensive array of pediatric specialists in the State practice at this one organization. The outstanding clinical expertise, as well as high patient volume, and an unwavering commitment to caring only for children, all contribute to Phoenix Children's leadership position. For information about Phoenix Children's, visit the Hospital's website at www.phoenixchildrens.com.

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