EURWeb reporter Chico Norwood highlighted the urgent need for more African American volunteer bone marrow donors in an article about Robin Roberts’ myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) diagnosis. Norwood explained that of the 3,500 people to join the registry in the 48 hours following Roberts’ MDS announcement, only 386 were African American.
The article also addressed the common myth that people need to pay to donate. The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), which operates Be The Match, covers all medical costs associated with the donation procedure, as well as travel expenses and other non-medical costs. The only cost to the donor might be time taken off from work.