Sept. 19 Observed as First-ever World Marrow Donor Day - The Market Business

First-ever World Marrow Donor Day to be held September 19. Today, college students will be canvassing at campuses across the country to recruit donors for a bone marrow drive. Their focus is on young adults, as the best chance for a successful bone marrow transplant comes from that age, with those under 35 preferred.

Each year, there are 20,000 people who develop illnesses that could be cured with a bone marrow or cord blood transplant—just in the U.S.. These include lymphoma, leukemia, multiple myeloma, marrow failure states, and sickle cell disease. Yet only 6,300 transplants were performed last year, and at least 1,000 people die each year due to lack of a donor.

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