Soldiers and Family members from across 3rd STB, 3rd ABCT, processed through two different donor stations set up by Family member and Soldier volunteers in order to do cheek swabs to help donors complete formal registration with the program.
The registration drive was sponsored by the "Phoenix" battalion and was coordinated through the efforts of Jeanette Barlow, spouse of the company commander for Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd STB, 3rd ABCT, Sgt. 1st Class James Howard, brigade medical noncommissioned officer in charge with Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd STB, 3rd ABCT, and Colorado region representative of the DOD marrow donor program, Master Sgt. Frankie Gomez, Medical Management Activity, Colorado National Guard.
Barlow said her motivation for organizing the drive came from being unable to attend a registration drive at her children's school and having known people who have been diagnosed with leukemia.
"When I first started looking into the registration process, I didn't realize how easy it is to sponsor a marrow drive and be on the national registry," Barlow said. "I wanted to become a donor and be able to try and save lives of people who have leukemia. People need help and you never know when you are a match."
According to the DOD marrow donor program website, since its inception in 1991 the program has registered over 800,000 Soldiers and Family members and has coordinated more than 6,000 marrow and stem cell donations.
Gomez said when a friend of his was diagnosed with leukemia he took it upon himself to learn more about the donor procedure and registration programs.
"Education is the key to the bone marrow donor program," Gomez said. "A lot of people think it is a very invasive procedure when the majority of the time it is very much like a blood draw."
Gomez, a leukemia survivor himself, said that one of the major issues the program faces is not enough ethnic minorities being registered. He said that less than seven percent of the registered donors are ethnic minorities and that is a number he wants to see rise.
Pvt. Miguel Becerra, chemical specialist assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd STB, 3ABCT, said he registered because he wanted to help others.
�"Many people need marrow and I am a healthy person," Miguel said. �"If I can do something to help them, I don�'t see why I shouldn�'t at least try and help."
Barlow said she hopes this is only the start of a successful program. She is already working on putting together seven more marrow drives for the rest of the battalions in 3rd ABCT and has another brigade inquiring how to do their own drives.
�"It�'s worth it to see if you have a chance to save a life," Barlow said. �"I would love to see this go post wide. The more people registered the better. Every person registered is a chance to save a life."
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