The community of Old Lyme is asking residents to help save a life.
On Sunday, May 24, the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme is hosting a marrow donor registry drive between 12 and 5 p.m. to raise awareness about the need for marrow donors. Potential donors, who must be aged between 18 and 44, can take the first step to save a life.
Registration requires paperwork and a cheek swab sample taken from the inside of the mouth. Most donations, if you later match a patient, are done through an automated blood donation.
The drive is being held in honor Debra Boardman. Debra is the wife of Michael Boardman, and mother of two wonderful daughters, Emma (12) and Molly (7) Boardman. She was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in March 2015 and began treatment right away. It was quickly determined that her best chance to beat this disease is a stem cell transplant.
Unfortunately, both of her sisters were not a match so she needs to find a donor through the Be The Match registry. Could you be her match? A matching donor will give her the opportunity for a cure. Consider joining the Be The Match® Registry to help Debra and others fighting blood diseases.
It costs about $100 to add each potential marrow donor to the Be The Match® registry. Typing costs for this drive will be covered by health insurance and Michael’s Fund of Fall River, Mass. There will be no out of pocket expense for anyone wishing to the join the registry.
The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme is located at 2 Ferry Road, Old Lyme, CT 06371.
The Rhode Island Blood Center’s Marrow Donor Program is working with the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme to host this event. The Rhode Island Blood Center is a donor center for Be The Match®, involved in recruiting marrow donors and facilitating donations throughout New England.
Be The Match® is a movement that engages a growing community of people inspired to help patients who need a marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant from an unrelated donor. The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), a leader in the field of marrow and cord blood transplantation, created Be The Match® to provide opportunities for the public to become involved in saving the lives of people with leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening diseases.
For more information, visit www.bethematch.org or call 800-283-8385 ext.720.
Michael’s Fund is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help adults and children survive cancer through marrow transplants. The organization was founded by family members of Michael Wrobel who in 1996, at the age of 11, lost his battle with lymphoma when a matching donor could not be found.
The organization provides funds that enable the RI Blood Center to add more marrow donors to the Be The Match® Registry thus increasing the number of donors available to patients.