Marrow registry drive slated

CASEY RESSLER

Frontiersman Valley Life Editor

A simple blood test could be the first step for a marrow donor to save someone's life - it's quick and simple, but often, the process is misunderstood, and filled with misconceptions.

Kelly Marre, who lost her son, Logan, to leukemia in October 1998, has devoted much of her time to getting people registered to donate marrow and to clearing up those misconceptions.

"People think we are taking marrow at the registry drive, or that if you are a donor, it is a big painful process, which are both big misconceptions," Marre said.

At registry drives, all that is required is a simple blood test in which a small vial of blood is collected. That blood is then tested for three antigens, which are then entered in the National Marrow Donor Program registry. Once someone is matched, the potential donor gives another round of blood samples, to further match antigens. If it is a perfect match, donors give marrow in one of two ways - through a "traditional" donation in which a needle is inserted into a donor's hip, and marrow extracted, while the donor is under anesthesia, and through a stem cell donation process, which involves a series of injections and what amounts to a blood test.

"A lot of people who can't give blood are surprised to find out they can be a marrow donor," Marre said. "A lot of people think it is this horrible, traumatic and painful experience, and it's not. At the registry drives, we are taking a small vial of blood. That's it."

Marre is hosting another registry drive on May 4 at the Blood Bank of Alaska's Mat-Su office. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., people can register for the bone marrow registry by filling out a questionnaire and giving a small vial of blood.

"It's quick and easy and painless, and you could be giving the gift of life," Marre said. Marre has been hosting drives since 1997. She said more than 400 Valley residents have joined the registry in that time, and that it just for drives she has hosted. There have been numerous other bone marrow registry drives in the Valley during that time, she said, which only increases the number of potential Valley donors.