Bone Marrow Registry Drive

August 19th- Save the Date- Health and Counselling- Bone Marrow Registry Drive

Murdoch Health Services are supporting a Bone Marrow Donor Registry Drive on Monday August 19^th from 10am until 1pm in the new medical centre underneath the tavern.

Murdoch Health Services is pleased to be assisting Julie Young in her campaign to support the Australian Blood Marrow Registry. Julie’s daughter’s best friend, Lauren, was diagnosed with leukaemia aged 21.  When Lauren’s first round of treatment was not successful she needed an urgent stem cell match, that was not available in existing blood registries anywhere in the world. Lauren’s friends and family started a campaign to try to find a match for her. Eventually she was given a partial match with a high risk of rejection. Throughout the campaign, Lauren’s friends and family heard many similar stories of other young people in need of donor assistance, recognising the need to spread the word and encourage more people to join the register.

Each year thousands of people are diagnosed with leukaemia or other life threatening blood disorders. A bone marrow/ blood stem cell transplant is the only possible treatment for many of these people to save their lives. The Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry is a list of people who may be willing to donate bone marrow or blood stem cells to give a transplant patient a second chance at life. To take part, you need to be between 18 and 45 years of age and in good health. You will be asked to complete a donor questionnaire to confirm your eligibility to enrol on the registry, and you may be asked to donate about 10 mls of blood which will be done by visiting nurses from the Bone Marrow Registry. No bone marrow/ stem cells will be taken at this time.  The process will take approximately 15 minutes of your time.

As the registry is an international data base, both local and international students may participate. And in case you were wondering, unlike normal blood donations, having tattoos is not an exclusion for the registry.

Further reading on the Australian Bone Marrow Registry can be found at www. abmdr.org.au

For more information re the drive or to register you interest and set up a time to participate, please contact Julie on 0414879828 or email Julie.t.young@hotmail.com

Further brochures and information about the drive can also be found at Health and Counselling reception, underneath the tavern (next to the Sports Centre).  We need a minimum of 20 people for this drive to proceed so please do register your interest and support.