Fort Valley State University

July 29, 2009 - The tragedy experienced by a 17-year-old Northside High School student inspired a movement on Fort Valley State University’s campus. In 2005, Christopher Johnson was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In similar cases, if a suitable bone marrow donor can be found, 85 percent of all patients diagnosed survive. Tragically, Johnson died two years later due to the lack of African-American donors on the National Marrow Donor Registry.

Seven months ago, FVSU sophomore Tierra McClendon, signed up to be a donor during a campus bone marrow drive held in honor of the Warner Robins student. On Thursday, July 23, McClendon received a surprise call. Her bone marrow matches that of a 20-year-old leukemia patient. In two weeks, McClendon will travel to Atlanta to give the gift of life to a patient she doesn’t know.

“Making this donation is small thing for me to do,” said McClendon, “But it will be a big thing for that patient. For African-Americans, the list is very small, not a lot of people are willing to donate their bone marrow, so a lot of patients die.” The student – a self-described military brat – recalls the Bone Marrow drive held in January. FVSU Director of Health Services, JoAnn Nobles pulled her aside in the student center and asked that she become a donor.

McClendon is a biology major who aspires to become a nurse. The FVSU sophomore and ROTC private will take time off of a part time job at Kohl’s department store to travel to Emory Hospital for the six to eight hour procedure.

Currently, African Americans face a slim chance of finding a match, according to Stacy Toney, an account executive with “Be the Match” Registry, a branch of the National Marrow Donor Program that promotes increasing the number of minority donors.

“African Americans make up less than 8 percent of the registry – or 500,000 people. Blacks have a higher chance of dying from diseases like leukemia, only because their chance of finding a match is less likely and people need these donations to live,” said Toney. The ratio increases for white leukemia patients in search of a match: 100 to one.

McClendon doesn’t know the identity of the young man she’s helping due to patient confidentiality laws but she will be able to contact him through letters a year after the donation takes place.
To become a bone marrow donor, visit www.bethematch.org or call. For more information, contact JoAnn Nobles at (478) 825-6278.

Contact:
Christina Milton, editorial assistant
Marketing and Communications
(478) 822-7589, miltonc@fvsu.edu