Illinois Valley Community College is inviting students and community members to take part in a stem cell and bone marrow donor registration drive on April 29, 2025, from 9 AM to 2 PM. The event is organized by the Red Cross Club and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, focusing on the critical shortage of eligible donors. Organizers stress that finding matching donors is vital, with the potential to save the lives of patients battling blood cancers. Those interested can register on site, a process that is quick and non-invasive. By participating, individuals may become the lifeline for someone in desperate need of a transplant and a second chance at life.
When schedule conflicts prevented IVCC’s Red Cross Club and the American Red Cross from hosting a campus blood drive this spring, a bone marrow registration drive presented a new opportunity for organizers. A drive with a different purpose “gives us an opportunity to still help those who need us in a new way,” said Hannah Larsen, president of the Red Cross Club.
“The need for stem cell/bone marrow donors is great. In addition, my aunt passed away from Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) last May and I felt that a great way to honor her memory was to be a part of a bone marrow/stem cell drive,” Johnson said. A bone marrow donation was an option for her aunt, who died before she could receive one.
“When you are giving someone a transplant, in the simplest terms, you are giving them a new immune system,” said Olivia Haddox, donor recruitment coordinator for DKMS, IVCC’s partner in the drive. The non-profit organization has conducted 82 stem cell registration drives on campuses across the country this year.
“So many people have never heard of joining a stem cell donor pool or assume that bone marrow and stem cell donation is painful and difficult. The more drives we can host, the more we can tackle those stigmas head on and save patients in the process,” Haddox said.
It is important to create a registry of donors because only about one-third of blood cancer patients can find a match within their family. “This means that most must rely on a stranger on the registry to save their lives, which is terrifying and can make families feel powerless. The more people we register, the more second chances we are giving patients,” Haddox said.
