Politics & Government
State Sen. Jim Marleau 'Takes a Bite Out of Cancer'
Lake Orion lawmaker supports Michigan dentists' in efforts to expand bone marrow registry during November.
A news release:
Last month Sen. Jim Marleau, R-Lake Orion, chair of the Senate House Policy Committee, helped launch a statewide bone marrow drive during a press conference at the Michigan Capitol Rotunda.
The drive is part of the second “Take a Bite Out of Cancer” campaign, co-sponsored by the Michigan Dental Association (MDA) and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Michigan, to expand the registry of potential bone marrow donors.
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Patients visiting their participating MDA member dentist in November can become part of the international bone marrow registry – and possibly help save a life – by submitting a self-administered oral swab.
Marleau, a featured speaker at the press conference, expressed his appreciation to the MDA for taking on the campaign, adding that he will ensure his MDA member dentist is participating.
Find out what's happening in Oakland Township-Lake Orionfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The event was in honor of nine year old Sydney Blazer, of Commerce Township, who has had to battle cancer twice in her young life; doctors say Blazer’s best bet is to receive a bone marrow transplant.
Last year more than 2,500 swabs were submitted and of those, five matches were made. There are more than 5,100 cancer patients in Michigan – and more than 1 million nationwide are waiting for a bone marrow transplant.Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
