“Take Jake” is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness and educating the community about the importance of organ and tissue donation. A Donor Alliance Advocate for Life founded the “Take Jake” organization in honor of her son, Jake, who saved six lives through organ donation after he passed. The “Take Jake” Car and Bike Show keeps Jake’s legacy alive and his love for cars. The event is free to attend and will include food, raffles, and fall activities. Proceeds will support Brent’s Place and the Gift of Life Scholarship at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Bone marrow transplants, also known as a stem cell transplant, are sometimes the only line of treatment for patients facing blood cancers and other diseases. Especially diseases that compromise the body’s ability to produce healthy blood cells. Replacing damaged or diseased bone marrow with healthy stem cells restores the body’s ability to generate red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. These are essential for treating more than 75 diseases, including multiple types of leukemias, lymphomas, and other blood disorders.
Previously, living donors were the only means for obtaining a bone marrow transplant, relying on individuals registering themselves as donors. Registered donors had to order a cheek swab kit, submit their results, and enter a donor registry database where a match could potentially be found for a patient in need.
Now, thanks to a pioneering partnership between Donor Alliance and Ossium Health, the potential for bone marrow donation has expanded. This collaboration allows recovery of bone marrow from organ and tissue donors, expanding the donor pool beyond living donors and giving more people hope, including those suffering from blood diseases.
What is a Bone Marrow Transplant?
Bone marrow, located within the bones, produces stem cells that develop into blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen. White blood cells fight infection. While platelets control bleeding. Blood diseases can compromise bone marrow, leaving the body unable to sustain healthy blood cell production.
A bone marrow transplant infuses a patient with healthy stem cells, which can take over the function of producing vital blood cells. This is especially critical for patients undergoing aggressive treatments like chemotherapy, which can damage their bone marrow. A bone marrow transplant is a highly effective treatment, and for many, it’s the only curative option.
Types of Bone Marrow Transplants
There are two main types of bone marrow transplants:
- Autologous Transplant: In an autologous transplant, doctors collect and store the patient’s own stem cells before treatments like chemotherapy. This approach helps eliminate concerns about donor compatibility since there’s no risk of rejection or mismatch. For this approach, the body must be producing enough healthy bone marrow cells that can be gathered, frozen, and preserved for future use.
- Allogeneic Transplant: This type of stem cell transplant involves using healthy blood stem cells from a donor. It replaces bone marrow not producing enough healthy blood cells. The stem cells can be collected from the donor’s blood, bone marrow within the hipbone, or from a donated umbilical cord. Matching the donor cells is critical to reduce the risk of complications and rejection.
The Role of Donor Registries and Matching
Matching donors to transplant recipients is crucial, particularly for allogeneic transplants. Registries like NMDP (formerly Be the Match) help connect patients with suitable donors. They often focus on younger donors (typically between 18-40 years old) due to their stem cells’ higher effectiveness.
However, finding a match isn’t always easy, especially for those from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Increasing donor diversity remains a critical goal for improving transplant success rates for underrepresented communities.
Innovative Cell Recovery Through Organ Donation
The partnership between Donor Alliance and Ossium Health is a big step forward in bone marrow transplants. Together, we are finding new ways to make organ and tissue donations go even further through bone marrow. This means more people will have a chance to find the match they need for lifesaving treatment. By combining bone marrow transplants with organ and tissue donation, they are giving hope to more people and saving and healing more lives.
Stop by our Donate Life Colorado table to grab a treat (no tricks!) and learn more about saving and healing lives through organ and tissue donation at Butterfly Pavilion’s annual Bug-A-Boo extravaganza! Each year, families from across Colorado gather to enjoy this safe, stress-free event. Children of all ages are invited to visit in costume during the last two weekends of October and visit different stations throughout the Butterfly Pavilion.
Donor Alliance will join the Denver Mexican Consulate at its Health Fair to recognize Binational Health Week 2024. Stop by the Done Vida Colorado table to learn more about the importance of registering as an organ and tissue donor to save and heal lives in our community. The health fair will serve a diverse range of communities and is a testament to the Mexican Consulate’s collective impact and importance of its work. Mexican Consulates across the United States have extended the observance of Binational Health Week 2024 to the entire month of October.
Donor Alliance will be joining our partners at Chris Klug Foundation at this wonderful event in Aspen, CO!
Summit for Life (S4L) is a nighttime uphill race up Aspen Mountain on Saturday, December 7, and the biggest awareness and fundraising event of the year for the Chris Klug Foundation. Join hundreds of racers as they skin, snowshoe, run, or hike the 3,267 feet from Gondola Plaza to the Sundeck. (View course map HERE.) Then join the party with a dinner catered by The Little Nell, live music, and the awards ceremony. Afterwards, ride the Silver Queen gondola back to the base, and enjoy breathtaking views of Aspen at night.
Each year we recognize the recipient or recipient family of the Michael Wells Inspirational Award. This award is named for our good friend, and honors someone local for their support, advocacy, or representation of CKF, as well as the donation and transplantation communities.
For those who wish to skip the uphill race portion, we also offer Ride for Life on the gondola! Registration for both sells out, so sign up early and help us fundraise for this great cause. Each race participant who raises the $100 minimum will receive a long-sleeve t-shirt and other swag items. Racers who go above and beyond the minimum will be eligible for additional prizes!
Our mission is to raise awareness of the lifesaving gift of organ, eye, and tissue donation. By participating in S4L, you are helping us to spread this message and make a difference for the 103,000+ children and adults awaiting a transplant in the United States today.
For more information, or to register, visit http://www.summitforlife.org/.
