West Kentucky Community and Technical College, the Kentucky Association of Nursing Students, and DKMS are holding a bone marrow donor registration drive this week. Registration is simple, painless, and can save lives. WKCTC nursing student, Kaycee Cooper, visits Sounds Good to discuss the upcoming event.
A bone marrow transplant is a medical procedure performed to replace bone marrow that has been damaged or destroyed by disease, infection, or chemotherapy. This involves transplanting blood stem cells, which produce new blood cells within the bone marrow. A bone marrow transplant enables patients with blood-related diseases, such as cancer and sickle cell anemia, to produce enough white cells, platelets, or red blood cells to avoid infections and other disorders.
Donating bone marrow saves lives, but it's not common to find a perfect match for a successful transplant. WKCTC nursing student, Kaycee Cooper, says that only 1% of patients searching for a donor find a suitable match. So while the chances of being called upon to donate marrow are slim, that small chance to donate marrow will save someone's life. Cooper stresses the importance of enrolling in the registry, despite the narrow odds, saying "if it's that hard to find a match, every swab counts, because you can be the potential life saver."
The 'swab' Cooper mentions is part of the painless and quick registration process. To donate bone marrow, you must be between 18 and 55 years old and of generally good health (it also helps to know family medical history). Registration involves swabbing the inside of the mouth for 60 seconds three times, after which you are entered into a database of potential bone marrow donors. The entire process, which includes a 3-5 minute registration form, takes about ten minutes total.
WKCTC will be holding the bone marrow drive on Wednesday, October 24th at three separate locations on the WKCTC campus: the Allied Health Building lobby, the Anderson Technical Building lobby, and the student center. All locations will be open from 12 to 5 p.m. For more information on the bone marrow drive or the non-profit DKMS, visit the WKCTC website.