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Give a Spit, Save a Life

Every 4 minutes someone in America is diagnosed with blood cancer. And every 10 minutes someone dies from it. What the what?

These stats are daunting, we know. But, taking action around this issue is as easy as getting your cheek swabbed! Plus, you’ll get the unbelievable gift of saving a life if you’re a bone marrow match. (There are few things that come close to that experience. Trust us.)

Want to know more about bone marrow donation? Check out these 5 facts below.

Only 2 percent of Americans are on the national bone marrow donor registry.
Every year 10,000 patients are in need of a marrow transplant, but only half receive one.
Doctors choose registry members ages 18 through 44 more than 90 percent of the time.
Since race and ethnicity are important factors for determining a match, people of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds are especially encouraged to register.
- For example, if an African-American finds a match on the registry, there is an 80 percent chance that the identified donor is the only match on the registry.
Only 5 percent or less of a donor’s bone marrow is needed to save a life. The body replaces this within four to six weeks.