WHAT: Opportunity for the public to join the national bone marrow registry for free
WHEN: Saturday, March 2
9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
WHERE: St.Vincent Joshua Max Simon Primary Care Center Health Fair
8414 Naab Road, Suite 120
Indianapolis, IN 46260
DETAILS:
Indiana Blood Center’s Be the Match program is looking for new members to join the national bone marrow registry. The program will have a booth at the St.Vincent Joshua Max Simon Primary Care Center Health Fair on Saturday, March 2 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The health fair is free of charge and open to the public.
Bone marrow transplants are crucial for patients with diseases where bone marrow stem cells do not function properly, such as leukemia and aplastic anemia. A bone marrow transplant would replace the bad stem cells with new healthy ones, which could treat or even cure the disease.
Each year, more than 20,000 people require a potentially life-saving stem cell transplant. More than 10,000 of these individuals turn to the National Marrow Donor Program’s Be the Match bone marrow registry to find a possible donor. Unfortunately some patients, especially minorities, have difficulty finding a donor. To decrease poorer health outcomes for minority populations, the goal is to encourage persons of minority ethnicities to register. Improving the public bank of samples will increase the likelihood of matches for minority persons who become ill and need a transplant.
Participants will complete a simple registration form with contact information, health information, and a signed agreement to join the Be the Match registry. After information is collected, organizers will collect a cheek swab that will be used to match participants with patients in need of a donor.
Along with Be the Match, more than 40 different booths and 20 doctors will be present at the free health fair to educate and screen attendees for both adults and children. Advice on nutrition, physical activity and recommendations for how to quit smoking will be provided. Clinicians will also be offering:
- Asthma Testing & Education
- Blood Pressure Testing- adult
- Body Mass Index (BMI) – adult
- Cholesterol Testing – (Please fast 8 hours) – adult
- Clinical Breast Exam – adult
- Colorectal Hemoccult Kits (colon cancer screening) –adult
- Diabetes Testing – (Please fast 8 hours) – adult
- Foot Exams
- Hand Washing (teaching kids about germs)
- HIV Testing
- Kids’ Identification Card
- Lead Safety and Healthy Home – kids
- Nutrition Education
- Nutrition Education – kids
- Oral Cancer Screening – adult
- Pap Smear Testing – adult
- Pediatric Weight Management
- Skin Screening – adult only
- Special Kids’ Booths
- Vision Screening