From a press release:
Volunteers are needed to join Be The Match Registry at donor registry drive at Biltmore Lake Clubhouse on Friday, April 17 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Melanie Fore, 41-years-old, was recently diagnosed with acute leukemia. She has been a patient at Mission Hospital in Asheville since March 6, where she has been receiving aggressive treatment for her disease. Within the coming days Melanie will be transferred to UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine, where she will receive a stem cell transplant. The Fore family has partnered with Be The Match in hopes that their story will inspire others to join the registry and provide hope for all patients who need a matching donor to make a transplant possible.
Melanie’s friends, neighbors and colleagues are planning a donor drive in her honor Friday, April 17 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Biltmore Lake Clubhouse, 80 Lake Drive, Biltmore Lake. Additional parking is available at the Bonar industrial site on nearby Sandhill Road. A representative of Be The Match will be present to conduct a cheek swab donor screening. In addition, a spaghetti dinner provided by The Chefs Kitchen at Ingles will be served. The price is $10 per person. Music by bands from The Rock Academy will perform on the outdoor Pavilion (weather permitting, bring lawn chairs), and a silent auction will take place, featuring works by noted local artisans, gift certificates from popular local restaurants, and other items of value.
According to Betsie Letterle, Be The Match account executive, “Thousands of patients like Melanie depend on the Be The Match Registry to find a match. The Registry has over 14 million volunteer donors on file with over 10 million of these people living in the United States. It’s important to note that 75% of patients needing a marrow transplant cannot find a match in their family and search the Registry for a potentially life-saving match. Donors with diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds are especially needed as patients in need of a transplant are most likely to match someone of their own race and ethnicity,” she added.
Volunteers interested in becoming a donor and joining the Registry must be between the ages of 18-44.
“Melanie’s devoted husband Jason and their beautiful young daughter, Isabella have been her source of strength during this very challenging time,” says Lisa Lindsay a teammate of Melanie’s at Boehringer Ingelheim. “Melanie’s faith and belief in the power of prayer, her loving family, caring friends and colleagues at Boehringer, continue to sustain her,” she added.
About Be The Match:
Be The Match is a movement that engages a growing community of people inspired to help patients who need a marrow or umbilical cord blood transplanted from an unrelated donor. The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), a leader in the field of marrow and cord blood transplantation, created Be The Match to provide opportunities for the public to become involved in saving lives of people with leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening diseases. Since it began in 1987, it has facilitated more than 50,000 marrow, peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) and umbilical cord blood transfusions.
Volunteers can join Be The Match Registry – the world’s largest and most diverse listing of potential marrow donors and donated cord blood units – as well as contribute financially to Be The Match Foundation, or give their time. If you are over the age of 44 and would still like to join the Registry online you will be required to pay $100 to cover the cost of the swab kit and HLA typing. Please click on the following link to request a swab kit: http://join.bethematch.org/swab. There is no charge for donors 44 or under.
“All financial contributions, regardless of the amount, are tax-deductible and 100% of monies raised goes toward growing the Registry for patients anywhere needing a match,” says Letterle. Donations of any amount can be made directly to Melanie’s team page: www.bethematchfoundation.org/goto/MelaniesMission
For more information, visit BeTheMatch.org or call 1 (800) MARROW-2.
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