Be The Match® Celebrates 100,000th Re-Birthday

MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Be The Match, the global leader in unrelated blood stem cell transplantation, is celebrating the 100,000^th transplant the organization has facilitated since it was founded in 1987 as the National Marrow Donor Program®. The organization facilitated 50,000 transplants over the first 25 years of its existence and saw that number grow rapidly over the past 7 years, facilitating an additional 50,000 transplants.

For patients battling blood cancers such as leukemia, sickle cell and other deadly blood diseases, a cure exists through a blood stem cell transplant from a genetically matched donor. Many patients consider the day of transplant to be a re-birthday, as they receive blood-forming stem cells from their donor, which will replace their diseased blood cells with healthy cells.

"It is humbling to know that our work is so much more than collecting and delivering blood stem cells for patients who need them. We are connecting complete strangers in ways that weren't possible a generation ago," said C. Randal Mills, Chief Executive Officer of Be The Match. "We are giving people a second chance at life so they can make more memories with their loved ones and continue their life's mission—things we cannot measure but that are the most valuable gifts one could receive."

Over the past 32 years, the Be The Match Registry® has grown to become the world's largest and most diverse donor registry with access to more than 20 million potential donors who have signed up to see if they could save a life. As demand continues to grow for both related and unrelated transplants, the organization expects to reach its next 100,000 transplants in an unprecedented timeframe.

Be The Match is focused on democratizing cell therapy to help patients irrespective of ethnic background, socioeconomic status, or location. Patients are most likely to match someone who shares their ethnic background, but not all patients have an equal chance of finding a match. White patients have a 77% chance of match, while Asian, and Hispanic patients have less than a 50% chance of a match. African American patients have only a 23% chance of finding a match. Be The Match is working to increase the number of young, committed donors from ethnically diverse communities. It's free for 18 to 44-year-olds to join the registry with a simple cheek swab. Visit BeTheMatch.org to be a part of the next 100,000 transplants. Approximately 1 in 430 members on the registry will go on to donate.

About Be The Match^®
For people with life-threatening blood cancers—like leukemia and lymphoma—or other diseases, a cure exists. Be The Match connects patients with their donor match for a life-saving marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant. People can contribute to the cure as a member of the Be The Match Registry^®, financial contributor or volunteer. Be The Match provides patients and their families one-on-one support, education, and guidance before, during and after transplant.

Be The Match is operated by the National Marrow Donor Program^® (NMDP), a nonprofit organization that matches patients with donors, educates health care professionals and conducts research through its research program, CIBMTR^® (Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research^®), so more lives can be saved. To learn more about the cure, visit BeTheMatch.org or call 1 (800) MARROW-2. 

SOURCE Be The Match

Related Links

https://bethematch.org