Weekend marrow drive targets people of color

Drive aims to raise numbers of minorities on national registry

In an effort to increase the number of potential minority bone marrow donors, students of color are being encouraged to register in a drive this weekend. A coalition of student organizations has organized a two-day bone marrow drive, which is focused towards people of color because they are vastly underrepresented in the registry. African Americans, for example, represent just five percent of the national registry population.

This makes it difficult for people of color to find donors who match their marrow type. "There aren't many people on the registry at all," junior Varuni Tiruchelvam, who has donated marrow in the past, said. "But there are even fewer people of color."

"We want to get more Oberlin students educated and informed about being potential marrow donors," organizer Jabari Spruill, a junior, said.

Leukemia, a cancer that attacks the bone marrow, can be treated temporarily by chemotherapy, but over time the cancer becomes resistant to that form of treatment. The best way to treat leukemia is to replace the bone marrow entirely, but that requires a total match for the marrow.

Tiruchelvam understands the need for bone marrow donors first-hand. Her younger brother died last year from leukemia, largely because doctors were unable to locate a donor with the same kind of marrow.

Tiruchelvam donated marrow to her brother, but it did not match his closely enough, and his body rejected it. "I wasn't a total match," Tiruchelvam said. "My bone marrow basically attacked his." As a result Tiruchelvam brother succumbed to leukemia.

"It's really important to join the registry," Tiruchelvam said. "For a bone marrow transplant to be successful it is really important to find a total match."

This weekend's drive is being organized by Spruill and is being co-sponsored by four organizations: Brotherhood, Asian American Alliance, South Asian Student Association and La Alianza Latina. It is being funded by a Hewlet Grant, which funds projects organized as coalitions between student organizations.

By registering, potential donors will give about three tablespoons of blood, and their marrow type is then tested and recorded. Potential donors will then be in the registry, and may be contacted to donate marrow if the need comes up.

Donating marrow is time-consuming and painful. "Everything is painful, but it's nothing like having leukemia," Tiruchelvam said.

Organizers of the event hope they can get a good turnout, and educate people on the need for bone marrow donors.

The bone marrow drive is being held this Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m. in the Root Room of Carnegie.