Marrow Donor Program Introduces Be the Match Registry

May 7, 2009

The National Marrow Donor Program has launched a new identity for its donor registry and wants more individuals to know they could “Be The Match” and help save the life of a patient in need.

The registry has existed for more than 20 years, helping patients with leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening diseases find matches for bone marrow or peripheral stem cell transplants. NMDP introduced the new name, Be The Match, in March 2009 to better engage the community in helping meet this important need.

Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center has been an accredited donor center with the National Marrow Donor Program since 1991, and has educated and recruited more than 90,000 individuals who are willing to donate bone marrow to help save a life. However, thousands of patients are still searching the registry every day for their perfect matches, so more individuals of all races and ethnicities are needed to join.

For more information on the requirements to join the Be The Match Registry, call the Gulf Coast Marrow Donor Program at (713) 791-6697 or visit www.bethematch.org.