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WKCTC to Hold One Day Bone Marrow Donor Registration Drive

WKCTC
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westkentucky.kctcs.edu
The Kentucky Association of Nursing Students (KANS) Bone Marrow Registration Drive will take place on October 24th on WKCTC's campus.

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.

Tracy started working for WKMS in 1994 while attending Murray State University. After receiving his Bachelors and Masters degrees from MSU he was hired as Operations/Web/Sports Director in 2000. Tracy hosted All Things Considered from 2004-2012 and has served as host/producer of several music shows including Cafe Jazz, and Jazz Horizons. In 2001, Tracy revived Beyond The Edge, a legacy alternative music program that had been on hiatus for several years. Tracy was named Program Director in 2011 and created the midday music and conversation program Sounds Good in 2012 which he hosts Monday-Thursday. Tracy lives in Murray with his wife, son and daughter.
Melanie Davis-McAfee graduated from Murray State University in 2018 with a BA in Music Business. She has been working for WKMS as a Music and Operations Assistant since 2017. Melanie hosts the late-night alternative show Alien Lanes, Fridays at 11 pm with co-host Tim Peyton. She also produces Rick Nance's Kitchen Sink and Datebook and writes Sounds Good stories for the web.
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