The Dallas Cowboys are partnering with TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation, Be The Match and Children’s HealthSMfor the Be A Star, Save A Life marrow donor drive Saturday, February 18th from 10 A.M. – 2 P.M.
Thousands of people diagnosed every year with blood cancer and blood diseases need a marrow transplant to survive. By joining the Be The Match Registry® anyone can help save a life.
The Be A Star, Save A Life registry drive will take place at The Star Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters, 1 Cowboys Way, Frisco, TX, 75034. Joining the registry requires a sample of cells, collected by swabbing the inside of the cheek. Be The Match Registry keeps this sample to compare specific protein markers, called HLA markers, with markers of patients who need a bone marrow transplant. Doctors search Be The Match Registry to find donors with HLA markers that match those of their patients. By joining the registry, you are taking the first step to being the cure for patients with blood cancers like leukemia and other marrow diseases.
To be eligible for the Be A Star, Save A Life marrow drive, you must be between 18 - 44 years old and commit to donating to any patient in need. If you match a patient in need, there are two ways to donate. One way is called PBSC (peripheral blood stem cell) donation. It involves a non-surgical, outpatient procedure called apheresis. The donor receives a drug for 5 days prior to donation that increases the number of cells in the bloodstream. The cells are then collected during donation. Donors are typically back to their daily routine in 1 - 2 days. A second way is via marrow donation. It is a surgical, outpatient procedure that takes place under anesthesia in a hospital operating room. While the donor is under, doctors collect marrow from the back of the pelvic bone. Donors are typically back to their daily routine within 2 - 7 days. The patient’s doctor will choose the donation method best for the patient.
For more information visit www.DallasCowboys.com/MarrowDrive.
About TeamConnor
TeamConnor hosts events throughout the year to raise funds for childhood cancer research, including the III Forks Golf Classic April 30 – May 1; Splash Out Childhood Cancer July 13; National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Concert and Prayer Vigil in September; Color Me Green 5K/10K and Caterpillar Dash at Frisco Square in October; and the Northwestern Mutual Clay Shoot in November. In addition, TeamConnor’s national Coins for Kids with Cancer program raises funds in schools, churches, offices and organizations across the country.
About Children’s Health?
Children’s Health? is the eighth-largest pediatric health care provider in the nation and the leading pediatric health care system in North Texas, providing a full spectrum of health care services — from daily wellness and primary care to specialty visits and critical care. Holding eight disease-specific care certifications from The Joint Commission, Children’s Health has been consistently named one of the nation’s top pediatric providers by U.S. News & World Report. The Children’s Health system includes Children’s Medical Center Dallas, as well as Children’s Medical Center Plano, Our Children’s House inpatient rehabilitation hospital, multiple specialty centers, Children’s Health Pediatric Group primary care practices, rehabilitation facilities, home health, physician services and the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern.
Every year, more than 12,500 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer in the United States. Childhood cancer is the number one disease killer of children, yet the budget of the National Cancer Institute allocates less than four percent of its funds to pediatric cancer research. TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation is dedicated to raising awareness and funding research and treatment programs to find a cure for all childhood cancers.
For more information on how to impact the lives of those affected by childhood cancer, please visit teamconnor.org or find us at Facebook.com/TeamConnor.