CHINO HILLS, CA: Approximately every 9 minutes, someone in the United States dies of leukemia. By the simple act of donating bone marrow, one has the potential to help treat a myriad of diseases including leukemia, lymphoma, and inherited immune and metabolic disorders. While the search for the cure for many of these diseases continues, currently one of the most effective forms of treatment is through bone marrow transplantation.
Only 30% of patients in need of a bone marrow transplant are able to find a suitable donor within their own family. Patients needing a bone marrow transplant are most likely to find a match with someone from their own ethnic group. “Recently a friend of mine was diagnosed with leukemia. Seeing what they were going through really helped put a face on the disease. It inspired me to encourage all of my friends and family to donate. The larger the database, the greater the chance for a cure,” explained Niranjan Bhatt, a researcher from the USC Norris Cancer Center.
The likelihood of finding a donor is estimated at 66% for African-American patients, 72% for Hispanics or Latinos, 73% for Asian and Pacific Islanders, 82% for American Indian and Alaska Natives, and 93% for Caucasian patients.
Dr. Dilip Patel emphasized, “Knowing that having more donors of the patient’s ethnicity increases the likelihood for a match, drives such as these hosted by BAPS Charities, play a crucial role in treating cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma.”
On December 4th, 2016, BAPS Charities organized a Bone Marrow drive in Chino Hills, CA. In addition to the many registrations in past years, this year’s drive added 28 more people to the national bone marrow registry.
BAPS Charities is determined to help increase the donor registry nationwide to help any of those that need this potentially lifesaving treatment. BAPS Charities has organized over 100 similar drives since 2006 registering over 6,040 potential donors.
BAPS Charities has treated over 2 million patients worldwide. Through various activities such as, health fairs, bone marrow and blood drives, nationwide walkathons, and disaster relief operations, BAPS Charities sincerely serves the world by caring for individuals, families, and communities.
India Post News Service
