Instead of waiting in line at The Front Room in between class this week, students can spend five minutes getting their cheeks swabbed so they can be added to a database of possible bone marrow donors.
Hillel at Ohio University will be partnering with the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation to hold two bone marrow drives from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today and tomorrow outside of the fourth-floor entrance to Baker University Center.
The swabbing process is simple, said Lauren Goldberg, the organizer of the event and an office administrator for Hillel. It should take five minutes for students to fill out the paperwork and get their cheeks swabbed.
Once students are swabbed, their information remains in the database until they turn 65 years old. If a possible match arises, the student is contacted so additional tests can be performed.
Goldberg emphasized that even if the student is an exact match, he or she is under no obligation to donate.
Today’s drive is the fourth one Hillel has sponsored this year, and Goldberg said the others have been very successful.
“I think that students are really excited to participate; it’s a simple act that could potentially save someone’s life,” she said. “It’s had a huge impact, not only on the family’s lives, but also on the students that have participated.”
bv111010@ohiou.edu
