Mackenzie Thomas
Staff Writer
The University of Wyoming Love Your Melon recognized student organization will be hosting a Swab Drive this week in coordination with the international non-profit Deutsche KnochenMarkSpenderdatei, also known as DKMS, and Be the Match. The drive will be held on Wednesday, October 23rd, and Thursday, October 24th, in the Wyoming Union.
The Love Your Melon RSO hopes to help educate the general public about bone marrow donation through the Swab Drive. Each bone marrow donation process begins with a cheek swab, which then leads to the donor helping save lives.
“We, as a Love Your Melon Crew, will hold the swab drive to help promote people to join the donation registry.” Zoe Hendricks, the president of the UW Love Your Melon RSO, hopes that the swab drive will help get more college students involved with the bone marrow donation registry.
Each year, 14,000 patients affected by blood disorders or blood cancer are in search of bone marrow donors. By educating students about bone marrow donation through the Swab Drive, the Love Your Melon RSO is helping to start the donation process by allowing those attending the event to get a swab test done.
“In order to be a blood marrow donor, you have to be between the ages of 18 and 55 so it is critical for college students to get their name on the registry for as many years possible.” Hendricks and her crew aim to get more and more college students involved in the registry as the need for younger donors rises.
The Love Your Melon RSO is working in coordination with DKMS for the Swab Drive. DKMS is a worldwide nonprofit organization working to fight against blood disorders, like blood cancer. DKMS works to recruit bone marrow donors, as well as raise money to support donors during the registration process, and provide constant support for all patients battling blood disorders.
Much like DKMS, Love Your Melon works to provide support for pediatric cancer patients throughout their diagnosis and treatment. Love Your Melon donates a hat to each child battling with pediatric cancer in order to help support the fight against childhood cancer. 50% of all profits from Love Your Melon apparel sales go toward other nonprofit organizations like Alex’s Lemonade Stand, CureSearch, and the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Love Your Melon also works with Be the Match, an organization that works towards connecting possible bone marrow donors with information regarding the donation process. Together, these organizations work together to educate the public on why the donation process is so crucial to patients battling with a blood disorder or blood cancer.
By working together with bone marrow donation organizations like DKMS, the Love Your Melon RSO aims to educate students about the importance of becoming a bone marrow donor. Both Love Your Melon and DKMS aim to reach college students as the need for younger bone marrow donors continues to grow.
The Swab Drive is open to both current and past students, as well as the Laramie community. The drive will allow those in attendance to get a swab done in order to take the first step in the donation process as well as providing general information about becoming a donor.
