Hampton University News February 21, 2019 Hampton University is the First HBCU to Participate in the 2019 Greek Challenge with 'Be The Match' Donor Program Hampton University partners with donor program, "Be The Match," operated by the National Marrow Donor Program, managing the world's largest and most diverse donor registry. "Hampton University is proud of our students for raising awareness for this cause as part of the 'head, hand, and heart' that our founder, General Chapman Armstrong, envisioned this University to bestow," said Hampton University President, Dr. William R. Harvey. "Be The Match" connects patients with blood cancers, such as sickle cell, with genetically matched donors who are willing to donate life-saving blood stem cells. Genetic markers used to match patients and donors are inherited, so patients are most likely to match someone who shares their ethnic background. Based on race and ethnicity, African Americans have a twenty-three percent likelihood of finding a match, while Asians, Hispanics or Latinos, Indians, and Whites have a significantly higher chance of finding a match. "My cousin Camille Williams suffers from Diamond-Black Fan Anemia. Knowing that she has been struggling with this for so long and being by her side through several transfusions, it's been heart-aching to see that she can't live a normal life like everyone else," said Aria Hill, 3rd Year Professional Pharmacy student and 'Be The Match' liaison. "She couldn't stay in college because it was too much on her health. Just knowing that if she doesn't get a bone marrow match, she may not live to see forty years old. We brought this challenge to HU to bring awareness and hopefully find her a donor." The Challenge Each Greek chapter on the Hampton University campus is challenged to register as many people to the "Be The Match" registry as they can. Competition will last until Friday, March 1, 2019. Each chapter has been given a special URL they will use to sign people up as donors. Once the online form is complete, each chapter will get a credit. Prizes up to $2,500 will be given to the chapter with the most registered, second and third most registered, and $1000 to Hampton University Panhellenic Council if 1,000 total are registered. How you can become a donor at Hampton University Hampton University will have a "Be The Match" table located in the Student Center Atrium on weekdays from the hours of 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. for more information. Each donor will receive a complementary shirt following donor registry. 1. Complete An Online Form 2. Order swabs 3. Send the swabs back (Hampton University Table) 4. Wait 5. Answer The Call 6. Donate and Save A Life Be The Match - Camille Williams https://youtu.be/FzYxXgKYAZw Story of Camille Williams https://www.youcouldbethecure.org/story-camille/ "What we're trying to do is solve the problem of there not being enough African Americans on the registry. Right now, if you're African American and you're looking for a donor or a transplant, chances are extremely low. The solution is to talk to more African Americans about joining the registry and to be life-saving donors," said Dan Gariepy, Lead Community Engagement Representative. "People think bone marrow transplants will keep them in the hospital for weeks or it's going to be extremely painful, but it really is just a day or a day and a half out of your life to save someone who's dying. We wanted to target HBCUs across the country and Hampton University is one of the schools we selected to do programs like this. We're really proud that Hampton is one of our first rounds." SANDRA M. PHOENIX HBCU Library Alliance Executive Director Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW Atlanta, GA 30314 404-978-2118 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org/ sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org%3cmailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org>> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/