Dallas, Texas — The Medical City Foundation is inviting the community to “swab to save a life” at its annual blood stem cell, bone marrow and organ donor registration events during April Donate Life Month.
In partnership with nonprofit organizations Earl Young’s Team, Southwest Transplant Alliance and LifeGift, 13 Medical City Healthcare hospitals across North Texas will host registration opportunities. These events give people the chance to take a simple step that could one day save someone’s life.
Through a quick cheek swab process, adults aged 18 to 55 can join the national blood stem cell and bone marrow registry. Participants will also be able to register online for organ donation in partnership with Southwest Transplant Alliance and LifeGift.
“Behind every transplant is a person hoping for more time — more birthdays, more milestones, more moments with the people they love,” says Allen Harrison, chair of the Medical City Foundation and president of Medical City Healthcare. "Everyone who registers gives the gift of hope to a stranger. That generosity combined with our world-class systems of care and our blood cancer treatment program can help create healthier tomorrows.”
Gold-medal Olympian turned blood registry champion Earl Young knows that gift firsthand. After receiving a life-saving bone marrow transplant at Medical City Dallas in 2012, he was inspired to create Earl Young’s Team, a nonprofit dedicated to defeating blood cancer through donor awareness and recruitment.
Stem cell and bone marrow transplantation – along with organ donation – offer another chance at life for patients facing serious illnesses and cancers, including leukemia. According to the Health Resources & Services Administration, about 23,000 blood stem cell transplants are performed each year in the United States.
Blood Stem Cell, Bone Marrow and Organ Donation Registry Event Schedule (11:00am-1:00pm, except as noted)
- April 3 – Medical City Arlington
- April 6 – Medical City Frisco, Medical City Plano (1:00pm-3:00pm)
- April 7 – Medical City Alliance, Medical City Las Colinas, Medical City North Hills, Medical City Weatherford
- April 9 – Medical City Decatur, Medical City Denton, Medical City Lewisville
- April 10 – Medical City Dallas, Medical City Fort Worth, Medical City McKinney