Local organization hosts bone marrow registry drive

On Monday, The Salisbury Jaycees paired up with Be The Match to host a bone marrow registry drive in Wicomico and Somerset counties. Be The Match is an organization that provides bone marrow transplants worldwide. The two organizations were at Salisbury University and UMES in the hopes signing up 300 people to join the National Bone Marrow registry.  In order to register, people have to fill out a questionnaire as well as complete a cotton ball swab test. Officials tells us bone marrow transplants help cure blood based cancers as well as aplastic anemia.  Jessica Cling, the Salisbury Jaycee’s President, has a brother who  was diagnosed with aplastic anemia four years ago and was cured after a bone marrow transplant, and because of this personal story the group decided to organize their own local drive.

Jessica Cling, the Salisbury Jaycees President says, “This is my way of helping out. Because we had a complete stranger save my brother’s life. If we could save someone else’s that’s why we are here.”

Cling tells us that once people are in the registry they will be in it until they are 61 years old and can opt-out if they later chose to. Cling also tells 47 ABC that they hope to make this drive an annual event. For more information click here.