Blood Cord Donations Needed From and For African Americans
Related News: Cord Blood Stem CellsUmbilical cord blood contains rich cells that can be used to treat some forms of cancer, leukemia, immune system disorders and sickle cell. That makes the need even more pertinent in the African American community, said Sharon Bolster Mills, manager of the ItxM Clinical Cord Blood Services in Glenview.
"We are currently collecting about 100 donations per month, with less than 10 percent from African American donors," she told the Chicago Defender. "Our goal for this year is to increase collections to at least 300 donations per month, with 50 percent from African American donors. We have a need for all minorities who are underrepresented in the National Marrow Donor Program and cord blood and marrow donor registries."
Currently the collection goal is for the program to gather 4,000 donations this year, which is not even 5 percent of the 90,000 babies born in Cook County each year.
Alfred McQuarters, who is a donor recruiter for the cord blood program, explained to that blood typing is matched through a DNA-type test known as Human Leukocyte Antigen.
"And just like there’s a shortage for bone marrow in the African American and Hispanic communities, there is a great need for cord blood here, too," he said. "There’s a potential treatment for patients with sickle cell, but without African American donors, fewer people can get that treatment."
Posted on May 27, 2005 12:22 PM