Looking for a 1 in 540 Match
The wristband campaign for Jasper Lenglade has been successful beyond the imaginings of the Community Service Team. Phase 2 of our support for the Lenglade family has a “pay it forward” theme. While Jasper has been fortunate in his treatment and hasn’t required a bone marrow transplant, many patients aren’t so lucky. Therefore, we will be hosting a bone marrow registry drive, rounding up volunteers to be potential matches for the 70 percent of leukemia and lymphoma patients who need bone marrow transplants and don’t have a relative who is able to donate.

Registry Drive Set for December 14
We’re looking for folks to sign up during our next blood drive on Wednesday, December 14, who are:

• 18-44 years of age
• Willing to donate to anyone in need
• In general good health

Once on the registry, you have roughly only a 1 in 540 chance of matching a patient in need. That’s why the registry needs a BIG pool of volunteers in order to find matches for patients. Non-Caucasian donors are particularly encouraged to consider joining the registry – their smaller representation on the donor lists makes it even harder to find matches for patients who are racial or ethnic minorities.

Margaret Kantz’s Story
In addition to honoring the Lenglade family, Margaret Kantz (Community Service Team) has a personal reason for wanting this drive to be a success. She has been on the registry since 1989, when her college did a volunteer drive in search of a match for a fellow student. Unfortunately, no match was found, but over the years, Margaret has been contacted twice by doctors considering her as a match for a patient. While she didn’t turn out to be as close a match as they needed, she’s been glad to be “on call” in case someone had a need she was uniquely qualified to meet. BUT…she had a birthday last month, and she’s no longer eligible for the registry. It’s time for a new generation of donors to join the ranks.

Please Step Up
Joining the registry requires only a cheek swab and about five minutes of your time. (The process has improved a great deal since 1989 when it required a blood sample and additional blood samples if you were a potential match.) December 14 is your opportunity to step up to be someone’s hero. Be #JasperStrong.