Ailing Southern Regional Graduate Needs Bone Marrow Transplant

Southern Regional's Rachel Russell needs some help from the community.

Russell, a 2007 graduate, is battling leukemia and needs to receive a bone marrow transplant to increase her chances of remission.

So the Southern Regional ROTC will host a Marrow Donor Registry Drive sponsored by the “Be The Match Foundation” on March 8. The event will be held in the library of the 11/12 building of Southern Regional High School from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Anyone from ages 18 to 44 can register at this event to be a marrow donor. A simple cheek swab will determine if you are a match for Rachel or another potential recipient in need of a bone marrow transplant.

If you can’t donate your marrow, you can still help. The cost to process each test and add it to the bone marrow registry is $100. If you would like to make a contribution, visit the website www.Bethematchfoundation.org/goto/NJ_PA . Donations of $10 can be completed by texting MATCH 403 to 50555.

Bone marrow donation is a surgical procedure that takes place in a hospital operating room, according to bethematch.org. Needles are used to withdraw liquid marrow from both sides of the back of your pelvic bone. Donors are given anesthesia and feel no pain during the donation. The donated liquid marrow is then taken to the patient's location for transplant.

For more information about the Southern Regional event, contact Lieutenant Colonel William Spence at wspence@srsd.net or Betty Kelly at 877-601-1926 x7722bkelly@nmdp.org

Photo credit: bethematch.org.