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Minority bone marrow drive attracts 95 community members


[Picture]

Sarah Brown
Arizona Daily Wildcat

Dylan Hass, a material science engineering graduate student, has his blood marrow sampled early yesterday morning in the Senior Ballroom upstairs in the Memorial Student Union. A second marrow drive will be held Saturday at the University Medical Center


By Maya Schechter
Arizona Daily Wildcat,
April 4, 2000
Talk about this story

Saturday's drive looks to bring in more donors

The UA College of Medicine held a bone marrow drive yesterday, and 95 members of the Tucson community donated samples to increase the number of minority donations.

The National Marrow Donor Program Registry has a list of more than four million potential volunteer donors, where doctors can look for a match for their patients. However, only 30 percent of African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaskan Native patients will find a match on the registry, according to the organization's Web site.

Marlene Rodriguez, a second year University of Arizona medical student, started the UA program to increase the number of potential minority marrow donors last year.

"I am a member of Fostering and Achieving Cultural Equality and Sensitivity and I am Mexican-American, so I was motivated to make a difference and help underrepresented minorities," Rodriguez said.

American Red Cross representatives sampled about two tablespoons of blood from each volunteer in the UA Student Memorial Union Senior Ballroom from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A second drive will take place Saturday, at the University Medical Center cafeteria.

"Ninety-five is a good, solid number so we were very successful, and we are hoping for more volunteers on Saturday," said Robert Chavez, a first year UA medical student who helped coordinate this year's drive with Rodriguez.

Sandi Nye, a Red Cross representative, said 3,000 people worldwide are in need of bone marrow everyday. Between 30 to 40 percent will find a match within their families, but the remaining 70 percent will use the National Marrow Donor Program's Registry, she said.

"If we can find matches for those people who need them, it will make my day," said computer science junior Teena Werley, who sat on the outside patio of Fidlee Fig to encourage students to participate in the drive.

All minorities who were attended yesterday's drive were tested free. The National Bone Marrow Program and the American Red Cross paid the $80 per donor testing cost.

Ali Vyain, a chemistry and plant biology junior, gave a blood sample yesterday afternoon.

"I have donated blood before, and it's for a good cause so I want to continue helping," Vyain said.


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