By Becoming a Bone Marrow Donor, You Could Save a Life

Donors of African-American, Asian Pacific Islanders, Latino, American Indian, and Alaskan Native Asian Heritage Urgently Needed

By Becoming a Bone Marrow Donor, You Could Save a Life

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Marrow donation works. Maddie, a resilient and energetic adopted child of Asian heritage, has Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD), a rare, incurable disease affecting the central and peripheral nervous system which includes her brain and arms and legs. Thanks to her bone marrow transplant, the progression of Maddie's disease has stopped in the brain and slowed in the peripheral nervous system. Maddie is now a bright, articulate 8-year-old, her height and weight are at near average levels, and she is attending school regularly. In the words of Maddie's mother, "To have the opportunity to thank the person that gave my daughter the ultimate gift, the chance at life, with no expectations in return is a very humbling experience. I hope she and her family felt my sincere gratitude for a gift that I can never repay." By becoming a bone marrow donor, you, too, could help save a life.

Here are some registry requirements:
-- Must be 18-60 years old and in good health
-- Must give consent to be entered on the NMDP registry which is searched
nationally
-- Bring your social security number and driver's license with you
-- Provide names, addresses and phone numbers of two close contacts, who
do not live with you
-- Give a small sample of blood

Please note: NMDP charges a fee of $65 to Caucasian donors. Minority donors are not assessed a fee.

For more information on the Bone Marrow Registry Drive at ASIA, please contact Kevin Ost-Vollmers at 301-587-7068, ext. 25. To learn more about the National Marrow Donor Program, call (800) 627-7692 or visit: http://www.marrow.org/ .

Adoption Service Information Agency (ASIA) is a Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.-based, non-sectarian, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that is committed to help children thrive and to build, strengthen and sustain individual, family and community life. ASIA offers adoption and adoption- related services through our international and domestic adoption programs. We also offer post-adoption services. For more information please visit the Adoption Service Information Agency website at http://www.asia-adopt.org/ , or call us at 888-904-2229.

Source: Children's Home Society & Family Services

Web site: http://www.asia-adopt.org/
http://www.marrow.org/

 

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