NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. --
Troops and their families took the opportunity to give to others during a Salute to Life bone marrow donor registration drive June 1-3 at the medical clinic at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
The 926th Wing coordinated the event, and recruited volunteers from across the base to help run the booth and spread the word through all three days of the drive. The wing was motivated to hold the drive when a member’s child was found in need of a donor.
“If there’s anything I can do to help someone in need, I’m going to do my best to do it,” said Capt. Tammy Jones, 926th Wing Executive Officer. “Registration was such a simple thing to do; I was happy to participate.”
The Salute to Life program partners with the military to host bone marrow registration and testing drives on installations throughout the country and around the world. The program has also sent registration kits to groups or individuals who are interested in joining, but unable to conveniently reach a testing facility.
Individuals who are interested in signing up as a potential donor are required to fill out a consent form and provide a cheek swab, which upon submission is taken to a facility to see if it will potentially match the tissues of the recipient. Those who provide a solid match will be contacted to go over their health history, learn about the donation process, and receive a thorough health exam before they are able to donate to the patient in need.
“I’ve heard that the technology is so advanced now that marrow retrieval isn’t very painful. I would encourage everyone to look into the process and consider becoming a donor,” said Jones.
To learn more about the Salute to Life program and how to register to be a donor, visit www.salutetolife.org or call 1-800-MARROW-3.