Blood bank looks for bone marrow donors to register Friday

-Dermot Cole

Daily Columnist

Fairbanks Daily News Miner

Article Published: Monday, December 26, 2005

DONORS: If you want to know what you can do to help Alaskans Susan Butcher and Michael Donaldson and others who are battling leukemia, you'll have a chance to end the year on a giving note.

On Friday, the Blood Bank of Alaska is hosting a drive to find potential bone marrow donors, as well as blood donors.

The drive is to be conducted in Fairbanks at the McGown Room from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. No appointment is necessary.

Donors must be between the ages of 18 and 60 and will be asked to fill out a short questionnaire, sign a consent form and provide a small blood sample. That's all that it takes for the bone marrow registry.

The sample will then be analyzed and entered into the National Marrow Donor Program Registry. If a match is found, further tests would take place.

The odds of finding a match between unrelated individuals are slim, but once your name is on the national list, you may have a chance to save the life of someone else. There are about 3,000 people at any given time searching the registry for marrow and blood stem cell donors.

There is no charge to take part in the registry drive Friday, as GCI is underwriting the cost for the first 500 participants in the state. The Blood Bank of Alaska is paying for the rest. Normally the cost is $65 per person.

The Blood Bank of Alaska is looking for assistance to help cover that expense and there will be a donation box at the hospital Friday.

Meanwhile, the blood bank is also asking for blood donors to make this a two-in-one visit to the hospital. If you can donate blood, however, you are asked to call ahead and make an appointment.

To schedule an appointment to donate blood and be tested for the bone marrow drive at the same time, call 456-5645, ext. 24 and leave a message.