Marrow Donor CEO to give Cancer Awareness Month talk

Posted by Jayme Blaschke
University News Service
April 10, 2009

Dr. Jeffrey Chell, CEO of the National Marrow Donor Program, will talk about “Be the Match: Blood and Marrow Transplants” during the Texas State University-San Marcos Cancer Awareness Month and Community Outreach on Wednesday, April 15.

The event will be 7 p.m. on the 11th floor of the J.C. Kellam Building on campus. A reception will precede the event beginning at 6:15 p.m. All activities are free and open to the public. Texas State, the City of San Marcos, Hays County and San Marcos CISD have all declared April as Cancer Awareness Month.

Be the Match focuses on recruiting registry members who may one day be called on to help a patient in need. Each year, more than 35,000 people are diagnosed with life-threatening blood diseases for which a stem cell or marrow transplant may offer the only chance for surviving. Every day more than 6,000 patients search the registry for a match, yet only four in 10 patients find the life-saving match they desperately need.

Anyone between the ages of 18 to 60 years old and in general good health can join the Be the Match registry. Marrow drives will be held on the Quad at Texas State from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 13-16. Donors complete a registration form and swab themselves for cheek cells to become marrow donor registrants.

For more information about the Texas State Cancer Awareness Month and Community Outreach and its several events this month, visit: http://cancerawareness.healthcenter.txstate.edu/.