Bone marrow registry sets up shop at Naperville Ribfest
Imagine having two birthdays.
One is the day you were born, of course, but the other is the day you received a lifesaving bone marrow transplant.
Jenna McKeown is one of the lucky ones.
As a senior in high school, she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and was fortunate enough to find her match. Now she's eagerly awaiting next February - one year after her surgery - and her chance to meet the woman who saved her life.
Despite minor setbacks and infections, the Naperville resident is going strong. She danced the night away at two senior proms, proudly walked across the stage at her Benet Academy graduation in Lisle and is gearing up to attend St. Mary's College this fall to earn a nursing degree.
To help kids and adults like McKeown, organizers of Naperville's Ribfest - which runs through Sunday at Knoch Park - have partnered with Lifesource blood center to encourage festivalgoers to sign up to be potential bone marrow donors.
"I thought, 'Jeez, we've got hundreds of thousands of people coming through the door, why aren't we doing anything about this?'" organizer Julie Lichter said. "People are going to be having fun and be busy at this event, but it doesn't take much time to join the registry. They can go about their day, then take 15 minutes and join."
The registration process is quick and painless. The Lifesource tent will be located at the east entrance of Ribfest by the Barn Recreation Center on Martin Avenue. You'll be asked to fill out a few basic medical questions and to take a swab of the inside of your cheek. That's it. Then the swab gets sent off to the lab for testing and is entered into the computer system.
"I was registered two years ago at our church when a member was in need of a donor," Lichter said. "If I could have the chance to help somebody, that would be amazing - especially because (marrow) is something I already have. I don't have to do anything about it, I can just give it away."
Many people have the misconception that patients can find donors within their family. In fact, due to the complexities of our genetic makeup, only about 30 percent can. And for some, even the registry doesn't yet offer options.
"It's very, very difficult even looking on the registry," said Eileen Bialas, manager of Lifesource's marrow donor program. "We're very unique people."
Some may get called upon to donate within weeks, but for others it could be as long as years, or even decades. The registry needs committed donors though - people who will be willing to donate no matter when they're called - as long as they're healthy and still between the ages of 18 and 60.
Lifesource has done some larger drives in the past, but nothing like a four-day festival, Bialas said. She and Lichter hope the turnout will be great.
"Even if we save one life, it's worth what we're doing here," Lichter said.
People who aren't able to sign up still can contribute to the cause. Because Lifesource spends about $100 to run each test on the cheek swabs, any donations help. The blood center has a grant to cover part of the cost, but it still needs to be subsidized and it does not require donors to contribute. In support of the registry, the McKeown family donated money raised in Jenna's name to Lifesource to fund the tests.
Lifesource has been part of the "Be The Match" National Bone Marrow Registry since 1989. All donor information is confidential and will not be given to any other registry in the world. For more information, visit marrow.org.
"Come out and do it because it really could save someone's life." Lichter said. "I know it sounds cliché, but it's just so simple. Even in our own community, there is a need for this. It could be someone in New York or California, but it could also be someone in our own backyard."
Bone marrow myths and factsMYTH: All donations involve surgery.FACT: The majority of donations do not involve surgery. Today, the patient's doctor most often requests a peripheral blood stem cell donation, which is nonsurgical. The second way is marrow donation, which is a surgical procedure. In either case, donors typically go home the same day they donate.MYTH: In marrow donation, pieces of bone are removed from the donor. FACT: No pieces of bone are taken during marrow donation. Only the liquid marrow found inside the pelvic bone is needed to save the patient's life. MYTH: Donating is painful and involves a long recovery.FACT: There can be uncomfortable but short-lived side effects of donating peripheral blood stem cells. Due to taking a drug called filgrastim for five days leading up to the donation, donors may have headaches, joint or muscle aches or fatigue. Donors are typically back to their normal routine in one to two days. Those donating marrow receive general or regional anesthesia, so they feel no pain during donation. Marrow donors can expect to feel some soreness in their lower back, for one to two weeks afterward. Most marrow donors are back to their normal activities in two to seven days.MYTH: Donors have to pay to donate. FACT: Donors never pay to donate. Be The Match reimburses travel costs and may reimburse other costs on a case-by-case basis.MYTH: Donating is dangerous and weakens the donor.FACT: Though no medical procedure is without risk, there are rarely any long-term side effects. Be The Match carefully screens all donors to ensure they are healthy and the procedure is safe for them. Because only 5 percent or less of a donor's marrow is needed to save the patient's life, the donor's immune system stays strong and the cells replace themselves within four to six weeks. Source: Be The Match, National Marrow Donor Program, marrow.org <div class="infoBox"><h1>More Coverage</h1><div class="infoBoxContent"><div class="infoArea"><h2>Stories</h2><ul class="links"><li><a href="/story/?id=391075">55 transfusions and an unshakable smile of a Naperville teen <span class="date">[07/01/10]</span></a></li></ul></div></div></div>