Be the Match with MASH Hawaii

Aloha from MASH Hawaii!

Under new leadership, MASH Hawaii is being revitalized and is again holding events and meetings.  This affiliate now has a Group on Facebook, where members can communicate with one another and organize gatherings and volunteer opportunities.  Which is exactly what Affiliate Coordinator Beth Romero has done.  Their first meeting was a dinner out together at a local restaurant to get to know other members and start planning future events, like the one they held at the end of December.

MASH Hawaii organized a Marrow Donor Registry Drive at the Pearl Harbor Naval Exchange on December 27, 2014.  From 1000-1600, volunteers helped potential donors complete the 10 minute process to register.  The potential donor filled out a two page form, and was shown how to use a collection swab on their inner cheek to collect a small cell sample to complete the registration.  This event added 59 potential donors to the Department of Defense and national donor registry Be the Match!

Be The Match (BTM), operated by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), is a nonprofit organization that’s dedicated to helping every patient get the life-saving transplant they need. As leaders in advancing treatments for those facing life-threatening blood cancers, BTM provides the ground-breaking research, innovative technologies, patient support and education that save lives.  At donor registry drives, the focus is on recruiting new registry members ages 18 to 44. This is based on medical research that shows younger donors are best for patients and provide the greatest chance for transplant success. Because of this, doctors request donors in the 18 to 44 age group over 90% of the time.

This organization has facilitated more than 61,000 marrow and cord blood transplants and nearly 6,300 transplants a year to give patients hope for a healthier future.

If you are interested in becoming a Marrow Donor, please visit the Be the Match website and click Join today!