FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Naval Cadet Searches for Lifesaving Marrow Donor Grandparents to Host Drive in Port Angeles

NOVEMBER 20, 2001 — U.S. Naval Cadet Kenneth Neptun, the 21-year-old grandson of Port Angeles residents Bill and Margaret Wilcox, needs a lifesaving bone marrow transplant. His grandparents are hosting a bone marrow registration drive to help Kenneth and others battling leukemia find a marrow match.

• What: Bone Marrow Drive
• When: Saturday, Dec. 1, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Where: First Presbyterian Church
  139 W. 8th Street, Port Angeles

No members of Kenneth’s family are a marrow match for him. Patients who do not find a matching marrow donor within their family turn to the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry, a database of anonymous volunteers who are willing to donate their marrow for someone in need. The Puget Sound Blood Center is responsible for recruiting Western Washington residents to the NMDP Registry.

Joining the NMDP Registry requires the completion of a brief questionnaire and a small sample of blood (about two tablespoons). The blood sample is sent to the NMDP and analyzed to determine a person’s tissue type. Tissue types between donors and patients must be closely matched to prevent rejection.

The cost for tissue typing is $25. The First Presbyterian Church of Port Angeles will provide funding for those unable to cover the tissue-typing cost. For information about donor eligibility and the donation procedure, please contact the Puget Sound Blood Center at (800) 366-2831 x1897.

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