The Edmonds Fire Department will join the Puget Sound Blood Center in hosting Bone Marrow Registry Drives in November. The Drives are being held on behalf of 5-year-old Nicole Howard and numerous others who have leukemia and desperately need a bone marrow transplant to survive. Nicole is of mixed race descent, so she, like all people of multi-ethnic and non-Caucasian backgrounds, has a difficult time finding bone marrow matches.
The Bone Marrow Registry drives are intended to attract people of Asian, African-American, Hispanic, Native American or mixed-race heritage. Right now, fewer than 10% of donors are from each of these non-Caucasian backgrounds. Blood testing for donors from these racial groups is paid for by a federal grant. Caucasian donors, while still needed, are asked to pay for the testing required ($25.00).
Those interested in being placed on the National Bone Marrow Registry should be prepared to give a small sample of blood for testing. Once on the registry, donors will be contacted if they are a match for someone who needs a life-saving bone marrow transplant.
For Howard, who is of Japanese-Caucasian ancestry no match has been found.
For more information or to find out times to donate, visit www.helpnicole.org or call Shoreline Fire Department, 206 533-6500.
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