Blackbear

Keep The Circle Strong
Each year, thousands of American Indian and Alaska Native patients are diagnosed with life-threatening blood diseases such as leukemia and aplastic anemia. For most, their only hope for a cure is a transplant of healthy marrow or blood stem cells from someone who shares their tissue type.

Because the characteristics of tissue type are inherited, the best chance of finding a match is from a sibling. But only 1 percent of the approximately 4 million volunteers in the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry are American Indians and Alaska Natives. Today, more than ever, there is an urgent need for volunteer marrow donors from the American Indian and Alaska Native communities. You could save the life of another Native person. Keep the circle strong by joining the NMDP Registry.

Please go to this site for further information and links. Keep The Circle Strong

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Don't worry that it's not good enough for anyone else to hear... just sing, sing a song.

Kakeeya

I signed up for this a long time ago while I was on a break at the Hinkley powwow. I get brochures and newspapers from them occasionally. Thanks for the post.

owleyes

Does the donor have to be ndn to match with another ndn, or do other people match too? Like I thought it had to do with blood type. Just curious.

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If you cannot find what you seek within, you will not find it without.

River Spirit

Like Blackbear said, Native Americans are needed to donate to Native Americans. There was another thread on here about making sure when you are going to have surgery that medical staff know you are Native (or whatever) because there are different components in blood and tissue that are ethnic-specific. I'm on the bone marrow registry, myself, and I wish anyone reading this would consider it. All you have to do during a regular blood donation is tell them that you want to sign up for the registry and they can type/cross match from the blood you are giving that day. If you aren't already a donor you can still get registered and give a very small sample just by going into your local Blood Center. Check it out Skins!

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"The Cleveland Indians are going to change their name. They don't want to be known as a team that perpetuates racial stereotypes. From now on they're just going to be called the Indians." - Native Comedian Vaughn Eaglebear, Colville/Lakota

owleyes

Thanks. Yeah, I saw the other thread. I'd help if I could, but I'm white, so I wouldn't match.

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If you cannot find what you seek within, you will not find it without.

River Spirit

Maybe not in this instance, but don't downplay your importance in the overall scheme of things. There are far too few bone marrow donors registered of ANY race. You could very well be the difference between life and death for a leukemia patient; perhaps a mother with children... I would encourage you to go ahead and register. Maybe you'll never get that all important phone call; then, again, you might. And, it is a wonderful gift!

http://www.marrow.org/

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"The Cleveland Indians are going to change their name. They don't want to be known as a team that perpetuates racial stereotypes. From now on they're just going to be called the Indians." - Native Comedian Vaughn Eaglebear, Colville/Lakota

owleyes

Yeah thanks. I have always meant to , my grandad died of leaukemia. He wasn't able to have a bone marrow transplant because of other health problems, and so I've just never done it. I will though! I'm not sure where one goes to do it though really. Do you know?

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If you cannot find what you seek within, you will not find it without.

owleyes

Never mind, I just saw the link, lol.

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If you cannot find what you seek within, you will not find it without.

River Spirit

http://www.marrow.org/NMDP/donor_centers.html

the above link should take you to US and International Donor Centers. I'm glad you brought this up because I'd let my contact info lapse. I just updated my address and phone info with them. Thank you so much.

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"The Cleveland Indians are going to change their name. They don't want to be known as a team that perpetuates racial stereotypes. From now on they're just going to be called the Indians." - Native Comedian Vaughn Eaglebear, Colville/Lakota

owleyes

I talked to my sister about this, she's interested in being a donor too, so I went to the site. It did say that there was a chance that people could match each other from different ethnic groups. I think that both my sis & I are going to become donors. Who knows whose life it might save? To help save anyone's life is a good thing. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, Blackbear, and for the info, Spirit.

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If you cannot find what you seek within, you will not find it without.