More than 140 potential bone marrow donors registered Saturday during a three-hour event to find a potential match for , a Denver third-grader who was recently diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.
A typical bone marrow drive results in about a dozen potential donors, said Liz Lambert, a communications specialist for Bonfils Blood Center. But Saturday’s event at Stapleton’s Founders Green, 7351 E. 29th Ave., drew 142 potential donors who could help Quade or others like him with a lifesaving match.
The potential donors had their cheeks swabbed and the samples will be tested and added to the Be The Match Registry. Potential donors could be matched with a blood disease patient anywhere in the world.
People can still sign up to be donors at any Bonfils community donor center or . To learn more, visit the Bonfils site and click on “.”
In 2015, Bonfils’ Marrow Program facilitated 46 blood stem cell or marrow transplants and placed more than 2,600 potential marrow donors from Colorado and Wyoming on the registry.
In about 70 percent of cases, the patient does not have a close family member who can serve as a donor and looks to the registry to find a compatible match. Quade, an active boy who enjoys snowboarding and music as well as lacrosse, is undergoing chemotherapy as he awaits a suitable donor.
