NEW YORK, NY Miracles… do they really happen? On March 8, a miracle of life came true through the kindness of a postal worker who had joined the Be The Match marrow donor registry! For the first time the bone marrow recipient met his life-saving bone marrow donor!
Eight years ago, Audrey Pollard, mail processing associate for the Manhattan Post Office, joined the marrow donor registry through the Postal Service’s Delivering the Gift of Life campaign. Six months later, she received a call notifying her that she was a potential match to save someone’s life. After each underwent testing thousands of miles from the other, nothing short of a miracle happened: the match was confirmed and the recipient, Mark Worrall of England, received the needed bone marrow which Audrey so selflessly gave.
From across the seas, the hopes of a patient in England were fulfilled. Audrey donated at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and her donation was then flown to the recipient’s hospital in England.
A special meeting was arranged by the New York District, NY Blood Center and Be The Match Foundation. Mark Worrall was celebrating his 40th birthday. As a present to himself, all Mark wanted was to personally thank his guardian angel whose generous donation answered his prayers of finding a match so he could live. A patient’s likelihood of having a donor on the Be The Match Registry who is willing and able to help save a life is estimated to range from 66 percent to 93 percent, depending on race or ethnicity.
New York City Postmaster Robert Brown said, “I am proud of postal employees who are making a difference in the life of a family member, friend — or someone they never even met. When you join Be The Match marrow registry, you have the opportunity to give the greatest gift – the gift of life.”
Joining the Be The Match Registry as a potential marrow donor gives thousands of patients hope for a second chance at life. To sign up as a committed registry member, people need to meet age and health guidelines and be ready, willing and available to donate to any patient in need.
Registration involves completing a health history form and giving a swab of cheek cells.
To learn more about the Postal Service’s Delivering the Gift of Life campaign visit http://about.usps.com/corporate-social-responsibility/marrow-donor-program.htm.
To see MSNBC coverage of this meeting visit http://video.msnbc.msn.com/the-grio/46744930/#46724056 .