August 1 , 2003

MGH holds successful bone marrow donor drive

Five years ago, Jackie McLoon received a call from a staff member at the HLA (human leukocyte antigens) Registry with the National Marrow Donor Program. She was informed that she was a bone marrow match for a young patient who was the same age as her son. McLoon did not hesitate to become this young boy's donor and probably his last hope for survival. "It felt like I had won the lottery," she says. Because of this experience, McLoon began volunteering at the HLA Registry and is now a part-time employee.

Since the successful match, McLoon now helps coordinate bone marrow drives. She recently helped out at a bone marrow drive sponsored by the MGH Bone Marrow Transplant team and Northeastern University physician assistants class. Deborah Yolin, a physician assistant with the MGH Bone Marrow Transplant Department, says: "The drive was a huge success. We reached our target goal of 100 new donors in a few short hours. In total, approximately 120 people were added to the HLA Registry donor list." Because of the success, the bone marrow drive will become an annual event at the MGH.

Becoming a bone marrow donor begins by filling out a questionnaire and sending in a blood sample to the registry. For McLoon, this simple procedure led to a rewarding experience that she will never forget. "I would do it again in a heartbeat," says McLoon.

For more information about becoming a bone marrow donor, send e-mail to Deborah Yolin at dyolin@partners.org or visit www.hlaregistry.org