Leukemia claimed the Native woman's life in July before a marrow donor could help save it.
“She fought this disease for four years,” said Damone of the Montana Marrow Program. “She had 10 brothers and sisters and no match. It illustrates how difficult this is. You can talk about successes, but the failures are the ones that haunt you.”
Still, a great need exists to increase the number of donors because it can be difficult to find a marrow or blood cell donor match. Only about 30 percent of people suffering from a blood disease, such as leukemia, find a marrow match within their own family.
That's why the national office of the American Indian Business Leadership organization is working with the National Marrow Donor Program by hosting donor registry drives at six state and tribal college campuses in Wisconsin, Montana, South Dakota and New Mexico.
The kickoff is in Missoula at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Bonner Park, which coincides with the annual University of Montana welcome-back picnic for new and returning Native students.
Members of the UM AIBL chapter will be at the picnic to sign up potential donors. National Marrow Donor Program representatives will also be present to take mouth swab samples and answer questions.
“People get a little nervous,” said Angelique Albert, AIBL's development officer. “But it's pretty non-invasive. It's a pretty small thing to do to be able to save someone's life later.”
Ideally, Albert said, the group would like to sign up at least 30 people. “It would be great to double that.”
Of the 35,000 men, women and children in the United States who need a marrow or blood cell transplant, only 2,800 found an actual donor in 2005, including 15 Native people.
Transplanted bone marrow or blood cells from a donor can be used to treat patients with life-threatening blood, immune system or genetic disorders.
The transplanted cells move into spaces inside the bones where they create new marrow. They grow and make healthy new red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
If a person can't find a marrow or blood cell match within their family, they typically have the best luck finding a donor within the same race or ethnicity.
“There are so many blood diseases that require transplants,” said Pat Thompson, a spokesperson for the National Marrow Donor Program. “The more people we get to join the registry, the chances are more people will find a cure for their blood diseases.”
“Donors of all races are needed,” he said. “Blood diseases are color blind.”
Reporter Jodi Rave can be reached at 406-523-5299 or at jodi.rave@lee.net
You can help
The University of Montana's American Indian Business Leadership group, working with the National Marrow Donor Program, will host a bone marrow donor registry drive in Missoula at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Bonner Park.
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