To bring attention to the need for bone marrow donor registrants, NSCF continually advocates for individuals to register by holding donor drives, providing online registration links, and sharing information about the bone marrow registry. The shortage of bone marrow donor registrants is particularly critical among ethnically diverse populations.
In 2015, NSCF co-funded the journey of Alex Kimura, Sam Kimura, and Taylor Shorten, founders of Sharing America’s Marrow (S.A.M.). Sam Kimura was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder at age 17 and will eventually need a bone marrow transplant – with no donor match in her family or on the National Bone Marrow Registry.
With kits donated by DKMS, the three of them traveled to college campuses in all 50 states, registered over 24,000 new bone marrow donors and found more than 500 matches for patients on a transplant waiting list.
In 2018 and 2019, S.A.M. released the touching and inspiring full-length documentary of their journey, “In Our Bones”, winning many film festival awards across the nation. “In Our Bones” can be viewed here.
Join the National Bone Marrow Registry online here.