Every year thousands of African Americans are diagnosed with blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma and diseases such as sickle cell. For many, their only hope for a cure is a bone marrow transplant. Patients usually find a suitable donor in someone with a similar ethnic background. But just 7 percent of the nation’s 10 million registered potential bone marrow donors are African American. Be The Match® aims to improve this number through #ESSENTIALS, an online awareness campaign. The #ESSENTIALS campaign kicked off in February 2014 in Atlanta, GA.
Be The Match recently partnered with MvMT50 (formerly Blacks in Tech) in Austin, TX at the South By Southwest Conference and Festival to examine the impact African Americans have in shaping innovation and sparking movements through the use of technology. Be The Match was on site with MvMT50 encouraging attendees to use the campaign hashtag #ESSENTIALS and share their own social messages to amplify the disparate need for more African American marrow donors.
Also, 25 thought and industry leaders in African American tech came together for the influencer dinner and mixer at SXSW. They had a lively discussion about increasing awareness about the need for more African Americans to join the marrow registry. The guest of honor was Holly Charles, a young African American woman from Houston, who is scheduled to be a marrow donor in the spring. She has been blogging about her experience thus far and shared her story.
Be The Match has launched a website (www.OurEssentials.org) to anchor its #ESSENTIALS campaign efforts. Visitors will find easy ways to learn more about the need, join the movement and share their support via Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and other social networks.
About Be The Match
For people with life-threatening blood cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma, or other diseases, a cure exists. Be The Match connects patients with their donor match for a life-saving marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant.
People can contribute to the cure as a member of the Be The Match Registry®, financial contributor or volunteer. Be The Match provides patients and their families one-on-one support, education, and guidance before, during and after transplant. Be The Match is operated by the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP), a nonprofit organization that matches patients with donors, educates health are professionals and conducts research so more lives can be saved.
About MvMT50
Movement 50 (formerly Blacks in Technology @SXSW) is a coalition of African American and people of color in technology organizations. MvMT50 is an initiative that grew out of concern expressed by African Americans living in Austin to promote more diversity during SXSW conferences.
To learn more about the cure, visit BeTheMatch.org or call 1(800)MARROW-2
celia walker ~ follow me on Twitter at @cewalk28.
Check out photos from the event held at SXSW this week.
Photos courtesy of Chris Torres.
