South to hold marrow drive
by Amy Hohenbrink
reporter

   TCC students, faculty and staff can save lives by taking the opportunity to donate blood and get their bone marrow tested.
   South Campus will conduct a blood drive Wednesday, April 7, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., in the SSTU Living Room.
   “ People do not realize the impact they can have on others’ lives,” Alicia Moreno, representative of the Cook Children’s National Marrow Donor Program, said.
   “ Many people who need bone marrow transplants die every day because not enough people are taking the few minutes out of their day to donate,” she said.
   TCC donations can make a big difference, Moreno said.
   Recently, a match was found for a 3-year-old girl from a donor who signed up on SE Campus.
   The match, according to Moreno, was miraculous since one out of every 40,000 donors might be a match for a hopeful patient. The marrow donor program has held drives at TCC for six years, but that was the first match from TCC donors.
   Though people can register their blood to be tested, they may never be a match and go the next step of actual donation.
   The donor program will hold the registry as a potential donor until an individual turns 60.
   Therefore, a donor could be contacted at any time throughout his life, not just within the first year after donation, Moreno said.
   “ If one is a match and chooses to proceed with the donation, the later union between the two people is priceless,” she said.
   Moreno said selected donors are required to wait a full year before they actually get to meet their recipients.
   “ If they choose to meet after the first year, the energy and emotion the recipient and family have is definitely one the donor will never forget,” she said.
   For further questions or information on the marrow donor process, visit the National Marrow Donor Program’s Web site at http://www.marrow.org.
   To gain more information on the blood and marrow drive, visit the South Campus health center or call the office at 817-515-4531.