Local hospital playing matchmaker for 21-year-old hoping to find 'the one'
PHOENIX, AZ (Sept. 8, 2010) – Like most young men, Johnny Garcia is seeking his perfect match. But this 21-year-old’s search has nothing to do with movies or dinner dates.
Instead, the Litchfield Park resident is focused on finding the one person who could help save his life. To help him, Banner Estrella Medical Center is playing “bone marrow matchmaker” in hopes of finding a donor who is just right for Garcia. The special event is happening from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 18 in the main lobby of the hospital, 9201 W. Thomas Road in Phoenix. No appointment is necessary.
“We are asking adults between the ages of 18 to 60 and in good general health to consider registering to become a donor,” said Oscar Correa, senior account executive from Be The Match Registry. “All you have to do is stick a cotton swab in your mouth. It is that easy to find out if you could be a potential lifesaver for someone waiting for a match in the bone marrow registry.”
Thousands of patients with leukemia and other life-threatening illnesses depend on bone marrow matches to fight, or even cure, their diseases. Although Garcia’s cancer is in remission, doctors say a marrow transplant will be necessary to keep the cancer from returning.
This drive is supported by the Bone Marrow Fund at The Banner Health Foundation. Thus, all costs of registering will be waived for those who would like to register as a potential donor during this drive. People of diverse ethnic backgrounds are encouraged to participate due to the rising need for minority patients seeking treatment for cancer or blood diseases. The best match comes from a donor of similar ethnic descent. The goal is to get as many people added to the national registry as possible. Even if you aren’t a match for Johnny, you could be a match for someone else in need.
For more information, visit www.bethematch.org.
Editor’s note: Johnny Garcia, his health care team and Oscar Correa from Be The Match Registry are available for interviews.
About Banner Estrella Medical Center
Located on the southeast corner of the Loop 101 Freeway and Thomas Road, Banner Estrella Medical Center is a 214-bed full-service, non-profit hospital offering general surgery, orthopedics, women and infants services, a full cardiac program with open-heart surgery, emergency services, and medical imaging services. Banner Estrella is part of Banner Health, the leading provider of health care services in the Valley with 11 hospitals. In 2010, Thomson Reuters named Banner Health one of the Top Ten Hospital Systems in the U.S.
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