Who else is looking for ways to make a difference in the world today? Join the Summer of Swabbing Gift at of Life Marrow Registry! Swabbing your cheeks and joining the Gift of Life Marrow Registry as a voluntary donor is one the easiest ways you can potentially save a life.
Classy Mommy has partnered with the Gift of Life Marrow Registry to encourage you and your friends or children age 18-35 years old to join the registry. If you end up being a match you could donate stem cells or bone marrow to help save a life.
Join the Summer of Swabbing at Gift of Life Marrow Registry
Did you know that every 3 minutes someone is diagnosed with blood cancer?
With the current global pandemic, Gift of Life has been unable to host in person drives on college campuses or in communities to encourage individuals to join the registry. Cancer has not stopped as Covid-19 has spread through the world. Now more than ever, cancer patients need our help to join the fight. You never know who might be a match for someone else! Please consider swabbing your cheeks this summer to join the registry and tell all your friends about this important cause that you can easily join to make a difference.
How to Sign Up for the Registry
Signing up is so easy! Just hop online at summerofswabbing.org to request a test kit. They will send you a free kit so you can join the registry.
Swab Your Cheeks & Pop the Swab in the Mail
After signing up online, you’ll receive a free kit in the mail that contains 4 swabs. The directions are on the envelope and swabbing is so easy and simple. This one act could help save lives and costs you absolutely nothing.
A simple cheek swab is the first step to determine whether you’re a marrow match for a
patient battling blood cancer.
Check out my video demo below to see just how easy it is to swab!
Cheek Swab Demo
Remember to swab each of the 4 quandrants in your mouth. Use a new swab for each of the 4 quandrants and swirl in your cheeks for 10 seconds. Pop the swabs in the envelope.
Please Help & Encourage Others to Join the Registry!
Given the current national health crisis, large public events and drives to collect swabs have been cancelled this Spring and Summer. College campuses are closed too and recruiting on campus was a frequent location to host drives where young healthy individuals could be swabbed to join the registry.
Please visit summerofswabbing.org to request a test kit.
There has been an enormous drop in the number of people joining the registry due to the pandemic. Meanwhile, cancer has not stopped and we need to help fight this battle!
Anyone could be a potential match – male or female of any age. However, young healthy patients in the 18-35 age group is traditionally the population that is recruited to join registries.
We can all help and join the registry but statistically the registry especially needs the following types of potential donors – ethnically diverse individuals and young men aged 18-35.
Young Men 18-35
Young men, 18-35 are the most requested transplant donors because they offer the
best opportunity for improved patient outcomes. Statistically, over 85 percent of
transplants take place with donors in this age category.
Ethnically Diverse People of Black, Hispanic, Asian or Minority Backgrounds
Ethnically diverse people of Black, Hispanic, Asian or minority backgrounds are
extremely important when it comes to donating marrow and blood stem cells because a
patient’s best chance of finding a genetic match lies with those of similar ethnic or racial
ancestry.
Increasing racial and ethnic diversity in the marrow registry helps to bridge the
gap in health disparities and ensure that everyone who needs a transplant will
have an opportunity to find a matching donor.
Please visit summerofswabbing.org to request a test kit.
I hope you’ll join the Summer of Swabbing Gift of Life Marrow Registry. Truly, this is such an easy way to potentially give back to the world in a huge way if you turn out to be a genetic match of a cancer patient.
Spread the Word
Stay connected and spread the word about the Summer of Swabbing.
Instagram: @giftoflifemarrowregistry
Twitter: @giftoflife
Facebook: @giftoflife