Perspectives Spring 2015

PERSPECTIVES • SPRING 2015 50 Blood cancer is not a topic most people want to talk about, but it currently affects 12,000 patients actively searching for a bone-marrow donor—and of those indi- viduals needing a donor, only about 60 percent will find a match from the 2.25 million people currently on the registry. As a result, two first-year D.P.T. students— Jace Payne and Emily Reul—decided it was time to take action. The goal of this article is to share their story and inspire others to follow their lead. According to the National Marrow Donor Program, more than 10,000 people in the United States are diag- nosed with blood diseases every year, with the only cure being a bone-marrow trans- plant from a donor. Patients need donors who are a close genetic match, and ethnic- ity/heritage are key in mak- ing that match. Once listed as a donor, a person’s tissue type and identification number are anonymously stored in the registry. Doctors can then search the registry for donors who match their patients’ tis- sue types. Donors may be asked to participate in a trans- plant but have the right to de- cline or change their minds. Payne knows firsthand how crucial this is because he was lucky enough to be the recipi- ent of a bone-marrow donor who was matched through the efforts of a bone-marrow drive. “I can honestly say I wouldn’t be here without the generosity and support from people who donate in these drives,” he admitted. Because none of his family members, including his twin, were a donor match, he had to rely on the Bone Marrow Registry to decide his fate. Reul, a fellow classmate and PT-1 class representa- tive, was inspired by Payne’s story. Together, they devel- oped the idea to host a Bone Marrow Registry Drive at the NSU Tampa Campus to increase awareness and hopefully save lives. After seeking approval from Dr. Mary Blackinton, they con- tacted the National Marrow Donor Program to plan the event. Their primary tasks were to first set a date for the drive and then to invite fel- low students and all employ- ees on the Tampa Campus to participate. Their goal? To get more than the average 30 people to participate. Initially, Reul sent an ex- planatory email inviting the NSU Tampa family to partic- ipate in the event. A bone- marrow drive is not an actual donation of any sort; rather, it consists of completing a cheek swab that gets entered into the Bone Marrow Reg- istry. If someone is actually a match, participants are not obligated to donate bone marrow. Attached to Reul’s email was a heartfelt letter from Payne sharing his story of being diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia at age 16 and how the Bone Marrow Registry saved his life. Friday, October 16 served as D-Day (donor day) for the inaugural Bone Marrow Registry Drive at the Tampa Campus. For several hours, Reul and Payne held their breath and wondered if they could meet their goal of 30- plus participants. To their surprise, 80 people signed up for the registry—almost three times the national av- erage. The huge response is not only a testament to the hard work of these first-year PT students, but also of the community spirit, compas- sion, and caring of the NSU family. THE GIFT OF LIFE: BONE-MARROW REGISTRY at NSU-Tampa If you are interested in hosting a bone-marrow registry drive, please contact Marc Silver at (727) 348-5060 or via email at msilver2@nmdp.org . For additional information, please visit http://www.bethematch.org/ to find out how you can register. PT Tampa By Mary Tischio Blackinton, Ed.D., PT, GCS Associate Professor and Associate Director of the Hybrid Entry-Level D.P.T. Program, and Class of 2018 Students Emily Reul and Jace Payne