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Race and Ethnicity Matter

Taylor Matt is a senior at Cazenovia High School and plays for the Cazenovia Varsity Lacrosse team and for the ethix Girls Lacrosse Club. Taylor, a great defender on the field, has leukemia. She has been in remission for five years, but unfortunately her Leukemia has returned.

Because she has been through chemotherapy before, she spends her time talking with and comforting the younger patients that are going through chemo for the first time. That is the kind of person Taylor is, always helping others, trying to lessen their pain and comfort them when they are afraid.

Taylor needs a bone marrow transplant. The doctors have searched the Be The Match Registry and there is currently no match for Taylor.

Part of the difficulty may be Taylor's Native American heritage, she is 1/4 American Indian.

Racial and ethnic heritage are very important factors in determining a bone marrow match. Because the markers used in matching are inherited, patients are most likely to match someone of their own race or ethnicity.

Today, there simply aren't enough registry members of diverse racial and ethnic heritage. Adding more diverse members increases the likelihood that all patients will find the life-saving match they need.

Your heritage can make all the difference. If you are from one of the following communities, you are especially encouraged to join the Be The Match Registry.

• Black and African American
• American Indian and Alaska Native
• Asian, including South Asian
• Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander
• Hispanic and Latino
• Multiple race

Sadly, 81% of American Indians do not receive bone marrow transplants within the critical first six months and ultimately not get the life-saving marrow transplant they need. Of the 7 million people on the registry, only 80,000 are American Indian.

The circle of life starts with you.

You have the power to heal, the power to save a life.

To schedule a bone marrow drive in honor of Taylor and the thousands of other patients searching for a life-saving match, please go here.

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The Gift of Life Campaign
c/o The William G. Pomeroy Foundation
P.O. Box 3327 • Syracuse, NY 13220
(315) 476-3000, ext. 2576 • info@giftoflifeonline.com