Twenty eight Herkimer College students recently participated in a ‘Be the Match’ marrow drive registering their tissue types with the hopes of becoming a match for individuals in need.
The initiative at Herkimer College was sponsored by the Center for Student Leadership & Involvement.
The National Marrow Donor Program is a nonprofit organization that operates the ‘Be The Match Registry’ of volunteer hematopoietic cell donors and umbilical cord blood units in the United States. The “Be the Match” initiative is the world’s largest hematopoietic cell registry, listing more than 10.5 million individuals and nearly 185,000 cord blood units.
Hematopoietic cells from NMDP donors or cord blood units are used to transplant patients with a variety of blood, bone marrow, or immune system disorders.
Another marrow drive is planned for the spring semester.
For more information about the Center for Student Leadership & Involvement, visit www.herkimer.edu/student-