ARLINGTON, Va. - It was as easy as spelling your name, sticking a cotton swab in your mouth, and closing an envelope. It was free, and it took all of 15 minutes. It was that simple, but the effort could save the life of someone fighting leukemia a deadly blood cancer.
Thoughts of saving lives brought 335 Guard members and government service workers at the National Guard Bureau's Joint Force Headquarters here June 5 to register for the National Bone Marrow Registry through the C.W. Young Department of Defense Marrow Donor Program.
What surprised many participants was how painless the process really was. What amazed the 15 volunteers who set up and managed the drive was that it requires no experience or medical knowledge.
"There were a lot of misconceptions," said Maj. Karen Patrick, National Guard Bureau Executive Services coordinator. Patrick said she had to explain to many people that a blood sample was not required. All people had to do was fill out the registration form and swab the inside of their mouth in four places. "The form was the hardest part," she said.
Guard Bureau personnel held the drive for Slater Phillips, the 7-year-old son of Air Guard Lt. Col. Cheryl Phillips and Air Force Lt. Col. Tom Phillips.
The Phillips family learned this spring that Slater has bi-lineage leukemia, an extremely rare occurrence of two forms of the disease, which requires two different medical treatments followed by a bone marrow transplant.
"Slater is very fortunate to have a bone marrow profile match with two of his three siblings; however, odds of siblings matching are only about 20 percent," said Cheryl Phillips. Of the thousands searching for a matching donor marrow, many will never find it.
So, the NGB volunteers dialed the program's toll-free number: 1-800-MARROW-3. Program managers shipped them all of the materials and information required. The volunteers picked a date, posted flyers and sent e-mails. That morning they reviewed step-by-step procedures and set up folding tables and chairs inside the Bureau's granite and glass lobby.
"But for the grace of God this could be your child, your wife, your mother " it could be you," said Phillips. "This could be someone that you love, and their chance at life could be you getting a cheek-swab." Phillips stood in the lobby and thanked those who registered, and she explained her son's condition to those who asked.
The Defense Department"™s marrow donor program estimates that nearly 500 military families need matching bone marrow.
"I have a son, too," said Maj. Tela McFadden from the Bureau's counter drug office, "and I would like to think that folks would come together to help him if he were sick." McFadden agreed that her registration was effortless and "very important."
The program is named for Congressman C.W. Bill Young, who initiated it. Its goal is to place as many personnel as possible into the national registry. It covers all costs and provides whatever medical and logistical support is needed. Its officials say registration is important to homeland security efforts because some chemical and radiological warfare agents can damage bone marrow.
Additional drives are scheduled at Fort Belvoir, Va., June 5; and Andrews Air Force Base, June 15; and Fort Meade, Md., June 30.
"We want Guard members to hold drives at their units," said Navy Lt. Cdr. Cynthia Campbell, the Washington-area coordinator.
Campbell has been coordinating marrow drives since a friend died from leukemia more than 14 years ago. She said the loss devastated her, especially knowing his life could have been saved if he had found a match. Since that time, she has registered more than 80,000 people, she said.
Bone marrow fills the cavities of the bones, and it's the source of all blood cells. Bone marrow cells can now be harvested by filtering blood through a machine, which is less painful than being transplanted from the donor to the recipient with a needle. The donor and recipient must match genetically to avoid rejection by the body's immune system. Ethnic minorities often have a harder time finding genetic matches.
"There is a Navy family in Maine that has sought a match for their daughter for more than a year now," said Campbell. "You can imagine knowing that someone out there matches your child and could save their life, but they haven't registered."
It would seem easy for the military to simply take the blood and DNA data it collects from every service member and place it onto the national registry. "It can't," said Campbell. Bone marrow donation is voluntary. People have to agree to donate their bone marrow cells even after they register.
"We certainly hope that if called you are not going to say 'no,'" said Campbell.
Still, the DoD Marrow Donor Program adds more people to the national registry than any other organization. One of the program's benefits is that there's no registration cost for military members and government employees. It can cost others more than $60.
Campbell feels confident that when National Guard members know of the need to hold drives and register, they will respond. "They have that commitment to their country, their community and their fellow citizens," she said. "This is just another way that the Guard can serve. Please hold a drive." Anyone who would like to hold a bone marrow drive can contact the DoD Bone Marrow Donor Center at 1-800-MARROW-3 or e-mail: recruitment@dodmarrow.com.