As I was walking out of the Howard Hospital after my last session of physical therapy, I encountered the Children's Hospital Blood Mobile. It was the center of a three part event; bone marrow registry, blood donation, and sickle cell awareness. I learned more about bone marrow and sickle cell in 5 minutes than I had my whole life.
Did you know that September is Sickle Cell awareness month? Howard is co-sponsoring a walk called Stamp Out Sickle Cell (SOS) 2009. Funds raised will go to education, outreach, and patient support. 1 in 500 African American babies are born with the disorder according to the CDC.
I had never thought of joining the Marrow Registry until my conversation about the importance of this potentially life saving act. You too can sign up to save a life. Seventy percent of patients do not have a donor in their family and rely upon the registry for a match. The registry urgently needs members of the following backgrounds: African American, American Indian, Asian, and Hispanic. If you're unable to donate, spread the word so others know of the registry's importance.
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