UA to host bone marrow drive

To battle cancerous diseases like leukemia, myeloma and lymphoma, the United States needs more minority bone marrow donors, Red Cross officials said yesterday.

Where Its At The bone marrow drive is in the Arizona Ballroom of the Memorial Student Union today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"It's good to pinpoint where the numbers are low - and it's minorities," said Associated Students Sen. Maria Rodriguez.

The Bone Marrow Foundation said patients have an approximately 30 percent chance to find donors from family members. When family donations fail, recipients must also depend on people of their own ethnic background.

Out of the two million registered donors in the United States, there are only 800,000 minorities, including Asians, African-Americans, Hispanics and Native-Americans, said Suzanne Powell, bone marrow registry coordinator.

The U.S. Navy pays the $78 cost for performing each test on samples donated by minorities. Anyone 16-80 years of age without a previous history of cancer, medicinal dependent diabetes, heart disease, heart attacks and asthma is qualified to donate.

UA's Minority Medical School Students will sponsor the drive, which will be held in the Memorial Student Union's Arizona Ballroom.

The procedure, totaling about 20 minutes, requires a blood test and signing a consent form.

Rodriguez, who plans to participate in the event through the Chicano/Hispano Student Services, said there has been a good amount of advertising, and students have publicized the event among themselves.

"Students should go," Rodriguez said. "If not to donate this time, to donate another time - to educate themselves."

Powell said if the blood drive attracts the expected 200 minorities, it "would be an excellent turn out."

The Red Cross held a bone marrow drive Saturday at the University Medical Center, attracting 120 donors, including 57 Caucasians.

The next drive will be on May 5, at the downtown public library from 11:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. or by appointment by calling Powell at 318-6874.