Students at SF State were afforded the opportunity yesterday to register -- not for classes, but for the National Marrow Donor Program and Registry.
Through the efforts of Lambda Phi Epsilon, a fraternity on campus, and the Asian American Donor Program, an Alameda-based organization that specializes in outreach to ethnic minorities, more than 40 students had participated only two hours into the drive. They each gave a sample of their blood -- about two tablespoons -- for the National Bone Marrow Typing Drive.
"Any healthy person between the ages of 18 and 55 can qualify," Mattie Goodman of Irwin Memorial Blood Center said. Goodman, along with two other women from the center, conducted the blood draw for the registry in a small white tent on the lawn across from the Cesar Chavez Student Center.
According to Goodman, the blood center doesn't have the time to do outreach. She said it is up to Lambda Phi Epsilon and the Asian American Donor Program to do all of the outreach, primarily to Asians, for this drive.
Darren Jeung, program coordinator at the Asian American Donor Program, stressed the importance of Asian donors, as they only represent four percent of the National Registry total as of April 4.
Jeung and five co-workers started to prepare and do outreach for the drive six weeks ago. "We train the fraternity to go out and do presentations to about 50 classes prior to the program," Jeung said.
Giving the blood sample is a five-minute process from start to finish. The blood sample is then taken to the blood center and it is examined to see if it can be matched -- not only by blood type, but also by tissue type for a possible bone marrow transplant. After registering, the blood center keeps the blood sample, and should a possible match be found -- usually someone with a similar racial background -- then the initial process begins for a possible transplant.
Results are stored on a main computer which is searched internationally by doctors and their patients that have leukemia or cancer and are in need of bone marrow. If a participant in the registry becomes what is called a "preliminary match," they will receive a phone call from the blood center. After this, more blood samples are taken, and a determination is made if the person can be a donor.
If a person is a "miracle match," or someone that is a precise match, he or she is given 72 hours to think about donating bone marrow.
"Most people know that they want to donate, even before they know they are a match or not," Jeung said.
"It's a really small way to help your own community out, and it doesn't hurt," said Lawrence Yee, a Lambda Phi Epsilon fraternity brother and co-sponsor of the philanthropy event. What Yee said didn't hurt was the needle, and he added that he'd like to see the donor turnout double from last year's drive, which was at 103 in about five hours' time.
Nursing student Kathleen Marcos, 21, donated her time to giving a blood sample for the registry because she was asked to do it.
"The Asian Student Union Internship Coordinator Liz Suk said that there weren't enough Asians that have donated," Marcos said. "It's the first time I've had blood drawn since 1990."
With a smile on her face, she looked up after the procedure and said, "Where's my juice?"
The non-profit fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega was offering root beer floats in front of the Business Building at a reduced $1 price to those who participated in the drive.