Campaign to make bone marrow donor ‘a star’

THE South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) is launching an “out-of-this-world” campaign ahead of World Marrow Donor Day on September 17.

This campaign will see a star being named after a lucky donor once the registry has reached 100 000 donor registrations.

According to the deputy director of the SABMR, Jane Ward, they consider each one of their almost 80 000 existing donors as stars.

“Much like stars that are born in the same cluster share similar chemical signatures, which help scientists track the stars they are related to, so our donor searches help us to find genetic twins among humans that share matching DNA, no matter where in the world they are.

“We are intimately connected with the universe – even our bodies are said to have been made of many of the same elements that stars are made of – which is why we thought it apt to name a star after a donor once we hit the 100 000 mark. The figure is significant as it symbolises the odds of finding a match. Currently, the chances of finding a tissue match are around 1 in 100 000,” Ward said.

The SABMR has saved more than 600 South African lives; however, only 25% of these donors come from this country.

When no local matches are found, the organisation has to look abroad, which takes time and can be costly.

“Our patients don’t have the luxury of time. They suffer from life-threatening illnesses such as leukaemia, lymphoma, aplastic anaemia and immune deficiency disorders that can claim their lives within a few weeks or months.”

The more donors added to the registry, the higher the probability of a patient finding a match.

“To become eligible for the star-naming, you can sign up to become a donor online or at any of our drives. Who knows, you may become our 1 in 100 000 Stem Cell Star,” she added.

Those between the ages of 16 and 45 who want to become a potential donor can contact the SABMR at 021 447 8638 or email donors@sabmr. co.za