LETTER: Be The Match 5k Saves Lives

Editor's note: this letter to the editor was submitted by Beth Weiss of Audubon, PA.

I am no stranger to cancer. More than 15 years ago I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, and in March 2014 I was diagnosed with leukemia.

During my battle with cancer, I never asked what stage I was at. I just knew I was going to get through it and get better. After my leukemia diagnosis, my doctors told me that my best chance of survival would be a marrow transplant.

Unfortunately, like 70 percent of patients, I didn’t have an available, fully matched donor in my family. My doctors began searching for an unrelated donor match on the Be The Match Registry, the world’s largest and most diverse listing of potential donors.

After seven months, my doctors identified a fully matched donor, and I received my life-saving transplant in October 2014 thanks to the selfless act of a stranger in Germany.

I have never been ashamed to be a cancer survivor, and that’s why I am sharing my story in hopes of encouraging Philadelphia residents to participate in the upcoming Be The Match Walk+Run on Saturday, April 2 at The Navy Yard. Every three minutes someone is diagnosed with blood cancer, and for many patients, a marrow transplant is their only hope for a cure.

The 5K, 1K and Tot Trot raises funds to support marrow transplant research, help patients with uninsured treatment costs and add more volunteer potential marrow donors to Be The Match Registry – giving more patients hope for a cure. Visit BeTheMatchWalkRun.org to register and learn more.